Car care giant Tyreplus opens first Singapore outlet

Singapore

TYREPLUS, one of the world's largest car care specialists with over 2,000 stores in 17 countries, opened its first outlet here at Wave 9, an industrial development at Woodlands Industrial Park, on Wednesday.

This outlet takes up 4,575 sq ft, around the size of a full-length basketball court, at the Vantage Properties development.

Tyreplus is a franchise owned by French tyre manufacturer Michelin Group, and the local operator is Hock Tyre, which has worked with the group for more than 10 years.

It offers a one-stop car maintenance and repair service, including the changing of tyres, batteries and oil as well as the servicing of air-conditioning and brakes.

Pascal Nouvellon, Michelin's regional director for Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei, said the differentiating factor for Tyreplus lies in the service it offers to customers. He wants customers to understand where their money is going, especially since car maintenance and repair services are not an emotional purchase.

All cars that go to the Tyreplus store for any of its services will receive a free safety check that complies with international standards. Customers will also receive a safety report at the end of the check, which would take 20 minutes or less.

This report can also be delivered through e-mail or a QR code, and the information obtained is stored using a cloud-based system.

The safety check will incorporate some of the advanced technologies that Tyreplus believes will premiere in Singapore.

One of the technologies is a laser-powered glove. The glove takes thousands of readings across the face of the tyre, and from shoulder to shoulder. It can provide information about the health of the customer's tyres within seconds.

This information can be used to advise customers on whether they need to adjust their tyres' suspension alignment or completely replace their tyres.

Mr Nouvellon said: "Usually, the customer who goes to the traditional shops is not used to getting this type of information. So we really try to create a different experience."

Local car care companies The Business Times approached declined comment on how they feel about Tyreplus' entry into the market.

Tay Hsing Yang, general manager of Tyreplus Singapore, said it wants to expand to cover the whole of Singapore. Two more outlets are planned to open this year, which are likely to be in the west and central regions of Singapore.

"In three years, we want all drivers to be 15 minutes' away from any of our outlets," he added.