More than half of replacement tire buyers know what brand they plan to purchase before they go to the tire retailer, according to AutoPacific’s recently completed U.S. Replacement Tire Buyer Study. Up 9%pts from 47% in 2019 to 56% in 2024, the study also reveals an increase in time from the start of shopping to actual purchase, indicating consumers are doing more research prior to taking that final step. The study was conducted in July 2024 and consists of nearly 7,000 vehicle owners who reside in the U.S. and replaced one or more tires within the previous 12 months from one of 25 surveyed brands. “Tire manufacturers and retailers need to know who their consumers are, how they’re making their replacement tire purchase decision, and what they’re looking for in a tire, among other things,” says Deborah Grieb, director of marketing and consumer insights at AutoPacific. The 2024 U.S. Replacement Tire Buyer Study is the 10thinstallation of the study, designed to provide tire companies with actionable insight into brand awareness, shopping behavior, tire attribute importance and satisfaction, buyer psychographics, demographics and more.

Consumers are Doing Their Research About Price, Promotions and Ratings

Consumers have a wealth of information available at their fingertips and not surprisingly, the top activity done by replacement tire buyers during the shopping process is checking pricing and promotions, followed by checking tire ratings and reading tire reviews. When asked specifically about research done online, a simple Google search topped the list as tire shoppers were most likely to do a Google search for tires for their vehicle (49%) or about a particular tire brand (47%), followed by visits to a tire retailer website such as Discount Tire or Sam’s Club Tire Center (41%). While researching tires on social media is at the bottom of the list of online research activities for the total sample of replacement tire buyers, it is age dependent with buyers under age 40 more likely to get information about tires via social media than those 40 and older. 

How Important are Advertising and Sponsorships?

Only 12% of replacement tire buyers say they noticed or watched a tire brand ad during their shopping process but 75% of those people say it had an influence on their purchase decision. Additionally, 41% of tire shoppers say if a tire brand sponsors a race team, sporting event or sporting team they are more likely to consider it. “Advertisements and sponsorships definitely have their role but it’s more about brand awareness and image – about getting in the heads of consumers before they’re in the shopping process so you’re top of mind,” says Grieb. Replacement tire buyers who watch various sports, motorsports, read automotive periodicals, watch YouTube videos and subscribe to streaming services have a greater familiarity with all surveyed brands and in turn those brands have higher future brand consideration. For sports in particular, those who watch sports such as the NFL, NBA and world soccer regularly when they’re in season are 14-22%pts more likely to be familiar with a brand, with the greatest impact on Toyo and GT Radial. Viewership of motorsports such as NASCAR and Formula1 has an even greater impact than regular sports, ranging from an increase of 14-29%pts in brand familiarity compared to those who don’t watch motorsports.

About AutoPacific

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing research and product consulting firm providing clients with industry intelligence and sales forecasting. The firm, founded in 1986, also conducts extensive proprietary and syndicated research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers, and suppliers worldwide, including its highly recognized Future Attribute Demand Study (FADS). AutoPacific is headquartered in Long Beach, California with affiliate offices in Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Carolinas. Additional information can be found at http://www.autopacific.com. 

Deborah Grieb
AutoPacific
deborah.grieb@autopacific.com