Help your customers choose the wheel package that’s right for them.

Many Canadian drivers own two sets of tires and two sets of rims, one for the winter, and one for the rest of the year. Consumers who are shopping for a new set of rims have a mind-boggling number of options, and while some consumers know exactly what they want, others will depend on you, the tire retailer, to help them make the best decision possible.

Besides the basics, like rim size/diameter, offset, bolt pattern and budget, Kal Tire encourages consumers to consider how they use their vehicles: “If your wheels are for off-roading, a smaller wheel will give more sidewall flex to protect the wheel from damage. Or if you stay on the pavement, maybe you want to plus size your wheels by increasing the diameter and improving the look and handling.”

Billy Lau, President of Tires 23, an Ontario-based tire retailer with two locations in the Greater Toronto Area says that he takes customers through a decision-making process that starts with the basics.

“I normally ask them if they want steel wheels or alloys,” he explains. “But when it comes to certain vehicles, like the BMW X5 or the Mercedes GLE, for example, they have to go with alloys. They don’t have a choice because there are no steel rims on the market that will fit those vehicles, since most steel rims are up to 18 or 19 inches. And in some cases, the brake callipers are too big to fit inside a steel wheel.”

The other question you’ll want to ask your customers, according to Lau, is whether their vehicle is leased or if they purchased it. “If they leased the vehicle and are planning to keep it only a few years, then steel wheels are fine,” Lau adds. “In fact, they’re the cheaper option. But if they bought the vehicle, and plan to keep it six to 10 years, then we recommend alloy wheels, because steel wheels are going to rust in a few years.”

Lau points out that steel wheels are typically chosen by budget-conscious consumers as their winter option, which makes these steel rims especially susceptible to rust since that’s the season when they’re exposed to snow and salt, and when most people don’t wash their vehicles as often.

“Although alloy wheels won’t last forever,” Lau adds, “they last longer than steel wheels. They won’t rust, but they will corrode, but it will take them much longer to corrode.”

Price is often a major concern for consumers, and the larger the wheel size, the higher the price. Lau says that he presents his customers with a few options, showing them the price differences between the alloy options and the steel rim options, and then he lets the customer decide which option they prefer.

Too many brands

Consumers are often confused when shopping for aftermarket rims, simply because of the number of different brands available for them to choose from. All the photos look pretty in an online catalogue, but consumers don’t know which brands they can trust.

“Ninety-nine percent of alloys are made in China,” Lau says. “People ask me about the brand, but it could be anything. In fact, they might even come from the same factory, they just put their own name on the rim.”

Lau notes that he’s been dealing with a few suppliers for more than 10 years, and that he has stuck with them because they always deliver quality products. This is why finding a supplier that can be trusted is key if you’re a tire retailer who is just getting into the aftermarket rim business. You’ll need to find a supplier you can trust.

The right fit

Although fancy alloy wheels come in one, two and three-piece designs, Lau says that most customers will want the more affordable one-piece alloy options, unless they’re driving something exotic.

“We also try to go with direct-fit options,” he adds. “These are wheels that are made to fit a particular vehicle, without the need for hub rings, and without the need to change the lugs. They simply bolt-on like the OEM wheel.”

Naturally, those interested in low-profile tires may want to upsize their rim and tire package for the spring, summer and fall, and downsize for winter. “They may also decide to keep the OEM size, if they want to reuse the tires they already have,” Lau adds.

Electric vehicles

In the past, choosing an alloy wheel package was all about the look and the price. Nowadays, Lau warns, tire retailers need to make sure that the rims they sell to electric vehicle owners can handle the added stress that will be placed upon the rims.

“When the customer picks an alloy wheel, we need to make sure that the alloy can handle the extra weight of the electric vehicle, because they’re much heavier than traditional vehicles,” Lau explains, adding that the load capacity of alloy wheels is normally supplied by the manufacturer of the wheel, and that’s a metric tire retailers need to refer to when dealing with EV owners and their vehicles.

A shrinking market

Selling wheel and tire pacakges was once a hot business. The Internet, and consumer spending habits have changed all that, which means that rims are no longer as big a profit centre as they used to be.

“It’s not much of a moneymaker nowadays,” Lau admits. “It’s very competitive, especially with online vendors who don’t need a storefront and don’t have overhead. They don’t even need to stock anything. They link directly with the supplier, and once an order is placed they ship directly to the customer.”

Another key trend that’s impacting the market is leasing. “We’re seeing less people buying fancy aftermarket wheels, because a lot of people are leasing their vehicles,” he says. “They might invest in a set of winter tires, or winter tires and rims, but not the fancy rims they used to for the summer season. Instead, they will go with the original set that came with the vehicle, and a cheaper winter set for the cold months. That’s just the direction the market seems to be going.”