ATS Euromaster has seen a seven-fold increase in sales of cold weather tyres since the beginning of November 2013 and is confident that the number of fitments will continue to rise now the winter weather is setting in.

The nationwide tyre and fast-fit company expects its total cold weather tyre sales to exceed £10 million in 2013.

Demand for winter rubber on cars and vans – which provide enhanced mobility and safety when temperatures drop below seven degrees Celsius – saw ATS Euromaster’s cold weather tyre sales increase by 14% in 2012 compared with the previous year, and the tyre retailer says this year is on track for further double-digit growth.

Peter Fairlie, ATS Euromaster’s group sales director, puts this down to more businesses seeing the benefits of fitting seasonal tyres in response to the growing trend for prolonged periods of freezing temperatures, ice and snowfall in the UK.

He says: “Temperatures plummeted in November and the gritters have been kept busy on our roads, but we’ve not seen any widespread snowfall yet.

“Despite this, a number of prominent long range forecasters are reporting that this winter could set new records and are advising people to be prepared.”

A large share of ATS Euromaster’s cold weather tyre stock is allocated to fleets which pre-order their tyres to guarantee supply, but the tyre expert still has winter fitments available in the majority of common car and van sizes, and with a choice of premium, mid-range and budget brands.

Fairlie adds: “Our teams work closely with fleet managers to make the changeover as quick as possible, planning ahead to ensure their vehicles are fully prepared for the wintry conditions.

“Customers can swap tyres at any of our centres, plus we have the resource of the largest mobile tyre fitting fleet in the business – it’s all part of being easy to do business with.”

In 2012, the Euromaster Group sold more than 1.8 million cold weather tyres across Europe. In percentage terms, ATS Euromaster’s cold weather tyre sales in the UK are accelerating at a faster rate than nearly every other European country where Euromaster is present.

Amongst the biggest users of cold weather tyres are supermarket chains, logistics companies, blue light operators and council fleets – ensuring vital services and businesses can continue safely when road conditions deteriorate.

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