Goodyear rolling out 'concierge-style' tire shopping, installation concept

WASHINGTON—Goodyear is rolling out a "concierge-style" tire shopping and installation service dubbed "Roll by Goodyear," which will debut in the Washington metro area.

The program, which Goodyear said was inspired by today's consumer's shopping preferences of convenience and efficiency, gives buyers the opportunity to control the tire-buying process from start to finish, according to Fred Thomas, vice president and general manager of Goodyear Retail.

First, guests begin shopping either at a Roll by Goodyear showroom or at RollByGoodyear.com, both of which were expected to open by Oct. 22. The physical store showrooms are smaller than traditional retail tire store shops and will be staffed by a handful of employees.

Once tires are purchased, consumers can select from a variety of installation options. Those options include valet service in which a Roll by Goodyear representative will pick up a guest's vehicle from a location of their choice and return it to the location of the consumer's choice. Mobile installation also can be scheduled, wherein a van will come to where the car is located and install the tires.

All four Roll by Goodyear showrooms will be located in Maryland: Shoppes of Bethesda in Bethesda; Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg; Shoppes at Town Center in Germantown; and Pike Center in Rockville.

Consumers will be updated on the progress of the vehicle installation by real-time email or text messages.

Goodyear said its pre-market testing for the concept revealed favorable results across all demographic groups, particularly with millennials.

Thomas said Roll by Goodyear makes buying tires easier.

"Guests can choose when, where and how to install their tires and they are in complete control of the process from start to finish," he said. "Goodyear is eliminating the waiting room and giving people time back in their day to do the things they really want to do."