Michelin steps up online game, launches global website

Greenville, South Carolina – Michelin Group has taken yet another step in the direction of online distribution, launching a global online platform for its tires, which it says is the first in the industry with an open search engine.

Michelin North America Inc has rolled out the new digital platform, which will be the first of 70 worldwide Michelin websites to go live.

The company said in a 9-June statement that the move was in response to many consumers who use the internet to research tires before purchasing them, adding that the goal of the effort was to simplify and enhance online tire shopping.

According to Michelin, more than 50 percent of tire shoppers now use the internet to research their purchases.

Consumers, said the company, will be able to find the correct tires for their vehicles by typing their queries into a search box on the website.

“Our ambition is to streamline and make our website much easier for people to shop Michelin tires. We want to assure the experience is gratifying for all consumers, whether they have a lot of tire knowledge or not,” said Olivier Chenevez, global marketing director for Michelin’s passenger car and light truck business unit.

“This is why we designed the new platform to be customer-centric, not tire-centric,” he added. “For example, tire models are showcased in a way that is engaging, informative and easy to understand.”

The new global digital platform will be used for all Michelin sites, the company said, and is live in the US at its Michelinman.com website.

Michelin has recently upped its online game, purchasing two online tire retailors in Europe.

In April, the company purchased a 40-percent stake in the French Allopneus.com, worth €60-million, followed by the takeover of Edinburgh, UK-based Blackcircles on 7 May for €67 million.

At the time of the purchase, Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard said his strategy was to offer customers “products and services suited to individual needs, and by simplifying the entire purchase process, from choosing their tires to having them fitted by professionals.”

Based in Aix-en-Provence, Allopneus sold some 3 million tires in France in 2014 and now accounts for 7 percent of the French market.

Blackcircles, meanwhile, has increased sales by around 20 percent a year since 2008. In 2013, the company generated sales of £28 million from its online offering.