There's no doubt about it - a big change is happening in the world of tires. With small independent stores ever increasing their prices, more and more people are choosing to buy tires online from a discount tire company.
The reason for the increase in tire prices over the last few years is mainly due to the cost of oil. Back in 2004 prices were around $35 per barrel, just two years later, prices more than doubled to $75 per barrel.
It's clear to see, oil price is at an all time high. This has a huge knock on affect to the US rubber and tire industry.
"If you look at it from a tire manufacturer's perspective, an oil-price increase is a triple whammy for us," said Jim Davis, a spokesman for the world's largest tire maker, based in Ohio.
"Oil is a major ingredient in the production of tires. It affects the cost to make tires, it affects the cost to heat or cool the plant where we make tires and, of course, the trucking cost to ship the tires."
Now this might all seem like doom and gloom, but don't go spending the college fund just yet, as approaching a discount tire company could just be the answer.
A large discount tire company can cut costs in a number of ways, giving them an advantage over more traditional independent tire stores. First of all they tend to buy in bulk, which means they save on the wholesale price. They also focus more towards the Internet market, resulting in smaller staff numbers and less overheads. A discount tire company will probably not fit tires themselves, but partner with local independent garages which do the fitting for them, this can also reduce the end price of your tire.
So which discount tire company to choose? there are many out there, but one which comes highly recommended is The Tire Rack Established in 1979 they are a leading discount tire company with award-winning customer satisfaction and warranty support.
The Tire Rack website is easy to use, even for complete novices. Simply select the model of your car from the drop down menus, and up pops a list of suitable tires. Customers are also encouraged to write reviews on specific tire models, which is a great feature as it gives you an insight into the general opinion.
Installation used to be one of the main deterrents of buying tires online, but Tire Rack now provide a selection of good installation options. Each order comes with full instructions on how to get going, with these easy-to-follow installation guides you should be done within minutes. But if the DIY approach isn't for you, then Tire Rack have partnered with local tire stores to do the fitting for you. Simply enter your zip code on their site and they display a list of recommended installers local to you.
I'd recommend you buy tires online at The Tire Rack.
The future cost of tires might be better than it seems!
For further reading about buying tires online, you may want to check out this online tires blog.
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