Will Goodyear roll over rivals with new Millennial-friendly showroom concept?
Plenty of brands have begun to experiment with small, experiential concepts to meet the new expectations of shoppers. Goodyear, however, is the first automotive products brand to try upgrading the tire buying experience with a next-gen retail location.
The tire brand is launching its new store concept, called Roll by Goodyear, in the Washington, D.C. area. Unlike traditional industrial-looking tire shops adjacent to garages with impersonal waiting rooms, Roll locations are showrooms with contemporary design elements located in lifestyle centers alongside other retailers.
Customers can either select the products they want in the showroom or shop online before choosing an installation option, one of which is to leave their keys at the showroom and shop surrounding stores while the work is done. A valet returns their car when the service is completed. Another option is to schedule a visit from a mobile installation van which will come and change their tires.
The initial store launch will consist of five locations. Pre-market testing indicated that Millennials and women, in particular, responded favorably to the concept.
[caption id="attachment_87772" align="alignleft" width="666"]
Photo: Goodyear[/caption]
Some of the biggest players in retail have been taking steps to make the process of buying or upgrading an automobile less arcane for non-motorheads.
Walmart, for instance, announced earlier this year that it was expanding a one-store partnership with car buying support service CarSaver to 250 store locations. The CarSaver store-within-a-store provides information and advice to customers on the complex task of buying or leasing a car.
More recently Walmart partnered with Advanced Auto Parts to bring value-added content and product information from the specialty store to Walmart customers through an online auto shop on Walmart.com.
Amazon.com has also gotten in on the act with a nationwide deal whereby Sears Auto Centers installs tires purchased on the e-tail giant’s site.
While for years the conventional wisdom was that Millennials were forsaking cars in favor of less expensive, more city-friendly modes of transportation like bikes and walking, more recent data has indicated that Millennial car purchases are on the upswing. This is especially true for new, environmentally-friendly vehicles.