MENU
Industry News Retail PeopleJuly 26, 2021
Mike Manges
No Comments
Order Reprints
KEYWORDS Dean Muglia Discount Tire
Discount Tire has hit the 1,100-store mark. "We traditionally target 50 new locations each year," says Dean Muglia, the dealership's CEO.
As CEO of Discount Tire, Dean Muglia oversees the largest independent tire dealership in the U.S. With 1,100 total stores, Discount Tire is known for its traditional, “tires-only” model, but “I think you will see us experiment with other services more,” Muglia recently told MTD.
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based chain - which was founded by 2014 MTD Tire Dealer of the Year Bruce Halle - recently began selling and installing windshield wipers at its locations. “We recognize the world is changing fast and so are the needs of our customers,” says Muglia, who has been with Discount Tire for more than 30 years and in his current role since January 2020.
In this MTD exclusive - Muglia’s first interview with a tire industry publication - he discusses why “nothing is off the table” when it comes to adding other services. He also discusses new and future markets for Discount Tire, the dealership’s ongoing investment in technology, how it’s preparing for electric vehicles and more.
MTD: Discount Tire maintains the largest footprint of any independent tire dealership in the United States and continues to add stores in new markets. Has it become increasingly challenging to maintain Discount Tire’s value proposition as growth continues?
Muglia: We’re at 1,100 stores now and we’ve actually ventured into our 36th state, which is pretty exciting.
We now operate in Pennsylvania. That’s a nice entrance into the East Coast market, which we’re really focusing on. When I think about our value proposition and consistency throughout the chain since 1960, when Bruce Halle started the company, we’ve worked tirelessly to provide a consistent experience and even more so over the years, the focus on ‘customer obsession’ has increased within the company. I think a big part of what makes us so successful is our people. We’re still a family-run company, we’re people-first and we have a very strong culture.
MTD: You mentioned Pennsylvania as a new market. Has the company entered any other new markets during the past 12 months?
Muglia: I’m sure there have been markets in existing states. We’re targeting St. Louis, Mo., later this year. You’ll see some stores pop up in St. Louis.
MTD: When you move into a new area, you have to recruit people.
Where do you find good employees to perform tire service and also work the sales counter?
Muglia: When we go to a new market, we’ll ask people who might be interested in living in that market because we want to staff some of the more senior positions with existing employees. It’s a way for them to grow and move up in the company. So we will typically staff stores in new markets with people from other markets and they will begin recruiting to fill out their staff. We don’t need ASE-certified technicians, so I think that also helps. It hasn’t been easy. This is a tight (labor) market. But we’ve been managing through it.
MTD: Discount Tire has made significant investments in its fleet service business. What opportunities do you see in that segment?
Muglia: We’ve always been in the fleet business. It’s just never been a very big push on our part. It almost grew out of necessity.
But I would say that stepping back and looking at fleets today, we felt we were under-represented in that space.
MTD: Discount Tire has never been shy about investing in technology, as exemplified recently by the roll-out of your mobile tread depth check system.
Muglia: That’s really part of our focus on that end-to-end, omni experience - starting with the online investments we’ve made, enhancing our website and leveraging Treadwell, which is our proprietary tool and big data initiative that can hone in on customers’ true needs, based on what they drive, where they drive and how they drive. We also leverage that tool in all of our stores. Then that transitions into our customers investing in booking a time and coming to our stores. And we’re leveraging tools like the tread depth readers to capture (tire) data more accurately. It also makes it easier for our people. Instead of pen and paper, they now have a digital device in the palm of their hand that they can use to capture tread depth data.
MTD: Among its competitors, Discount Tire has remained unique in that it has stayed true to its original format of tire installation-only and has not ventured into auto service. Do you foresee a time when this could change?
Muglia: I think you will see us experiment with other services more. We recognize the world is changing fast and so are the needs of our customers. There may be some services that we choose to offer in our stores and there may be other services we may choose to partner on, depending on the needs of our customers.
MTD: There’s a big push to accelerate the electrification of vehicles and that will have an impact on tire design and construction. What impact will electric vehicles have on independent tire dealerships? How is Discount Tire preparing for the all-electric future that people believe will materialize at some point?
Muglia: We see electrification coming fast and autonomous vehicles probably a fast-follow after that.
It’s going to change the landscape of the automotive industry. We don’t offer a full suite of (auto repair) services so we can be selective on those services that we do offer. Electrification is one area we can look at in terms of additional offerings. Certainly windshield wiper blades are something vehicles of the future will need. We’re taking the needs of consumers today and tomorrow into consideration.
MTD: What can we expect to see from Discount Tire during the second half of 2021?
Muglia: With store growth, we traditionally target 50 new locations each year. During the pandemic, we slowed down a little, but we’ve restarted our engines and are moving at full speed. We’re looking at modernizing our stores a little bit more, including some of the interiors. We’re looking at replacing traditional signage with digital options. And we’re really focused on keeping each customer safe. I think you’ll continue to see how Discount Tire evolves in how we look and how we go to market.
MTD: What's your take on the current state of the retail tire market?
Muglia: I would say it's generally positive. We're seeing vaccinations continue to roll out. We're seeing states and economies reopen. There's a lot of stimulus in the market right now from the government. People want to get out and do road trips. We're starting to see gas consumption return to more traditional levels. There are a lot of positives. Now there are certainly some headwinds. Supply chain constraints are a bit of a headwind - getting product from overseas - but we're managing through that. But overall, we see the second half of the year to be pretty strong for our industry. We're pretty excited.
© 2022. 10 Missions Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy Terms of Use
Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development | ePublishing
Discount Tire began with a single employee and six tires.
The year was 1960, and the first location was inside of an old plumbing supply building in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founder Bruce Halle waited patiently for customers to arrive. A week later, he made his first sale. Despite starting out with no real business plan, his persistence paid off. Three decades later, Discount Tire opened 200 stores across the U.S. And by September 2018, the company opened its 1,000th store.
Tires, like sugar or eggs, are considered a commodity. Mr. Halle understood that within a commodity market, product differentiation would not get the company very far. He made the decision early on to prioritize the customer experience.
In the early days, this largely boiled down to hiring the right employees. And this meant individuals who were equally committed to providing great customer service. The move worked for a number of decades and helped Discount Tire grow to become the largest independent tire and wheel retailer in the world.
This was until consumer behaviors began to change.
Around 2013, the company noticed customers conducted much of their research online before ever coming into one of its stores. The two shopping experiences, however, were drastically different.
While the concept of a “blended” shopping experience was just gathering steam, the company placed its bet on it. Discount Tire overhauled a disparate and homegrown technology stack — bringing in technology partners including Adobe Experience Cloud to drive web content management and personalization. It re-oriented the company towards customer experience management (CXM), a strategy that would drive growth. And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it provided resiliency.
Upwards of 80 percent of Discount Tire customers begin their experience with the company online at discounttire.com. On the website, the company needed a way to replicate the first conversation that many of us have with in-store employees.
The answer came in the form of a feature called Treadwell™.
Treadwell™ provides transparency, suggesting the best tire for a given situation regardless of cost. This proprietary technology lets website visitors input details about what (and how) they drive, providing s a recommendation for the best tire to suit their needs, based on real-world data. Many are surprised to learn that it is the very same tool store associates use, during conversations that help guide customers to the right tires.
This feature is one component of a broader online experience that also allows visitors to conduct general research, make appointments, complete transactions, and record basic information. It eliminates the time-consuming steps most automotive consumers are familiar with in a retail setting — reviewing options, providing store associates with line-by-line information, and waiting around while the transaction is completed — all of which have now become a thing of the past.
These services help customers save time, while allowing employees to focus on creating an inviting and supportive environment — being there to help with any final questions.
This includes Discount Tire’s fleet services business as well, where B2B customers have a dedicated portal and access to invoices, purchases, service history and more.
Discount Tire was able to carefully and deliberately orchestrate a blended shopping experience by understanding the nuances of its customer base, which also gave rise to Discount Tire’s personalization strategy (driven by Adobe Target).
The strategy, in its simplest form, would activate targeted messaging for customers located in different weather environments. On the more advanced side, the company has leveraged elements like QR code scanning to drive personalization. In short order, Adobe Target became a valuable tool that the company was quick to adopt internally.
During the early peak of the 2020 pandemic, Discount Tire also customized messaging based on real-time conditions in each of the 36 states where it operated stores. They communicated detailed safety measures, and messages were delivered consistently on desktop, mobile and in-store screens via Adobe Experience Manager.
Steve Fournier, vice president of Discount Tire’s omnichannel department, expanded on the interdisciplinary approach the organization took to meet the needs of its customers and employees, as well as how they wielded Adobe’s cutting-edge CX toolset.
“As an essential business, we felt very prepared when COVID-19 became a part of our everyday lives,” Fournier said.
Steve Fournier
Discount Tire continues to build on its initial preparedness and is ready to meet a post-COVID market in stride.
“Once we’re all on the other side of COVID-19, we expect many of these trends to persist,” Fournier said. “From March to July, we have seen between 25 and 30 percent growth in appointments being made online, and transactions have nearly doubled. It is creating a new crop of customers who we expect to continue leveraging these services. We rely on a set of Adobe tools that work together cohesively, for us to deliver a consistent web, mobile and in-store experience, personalized to the individual. Retailers may have been hesitant a year or two ago to fully lean into digital, but now it’s clear there is no other way to succeed.”
From six tires 60 years ago, to the 1,000-plus locations that anchor Discount Tire’s position as the dominant tire and wheel retailer in the U.S., the seamless integration of Adobe’s offerings into Discount’s omnichannel and CX operations has helped the business achieve resiliency and growth — even during a global pandemic. It has also augmented its ability to continue serving its customers on a personal level, just like it did from the very beginning.
Year
Model
Engine
Select a serviceInstallation of engine preheatersSRS / Airbag serviceAutomatic and manual transmission repairBody repairComputer diagnostics of vehicle systemsRepair of electrical systemsRepair and replacement of windowsChassis repairExhaust system serviceEngine repairTyre studsSeasonal storage of tiresAutomatic oil changeTire fitting and balancingRepair of steering headlights AdjustmentOil changeUtilization of tiresBattery maintenanceWheel alignment »Tire repairBrake system serviceABS/ESP safety system serviceLamp replacementAir conditioning service
Select center Vianor
PrevNext
4.8
Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 9 195/65 R15 95T XL
Buy
4.
8
Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 9 205/55 R16 94T XL
Buy
4.8
Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 9 185/65 R15 92T XL
Buy
4.9
Nokian Tires Nordman 7 175/65 R14 86T XL
Buy
4.
8
Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV 225/60 R17 103T XL
Buy
5
Nokian Tires Nordman 8 205/60 R16 96T XL
Buy
5
Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 10p 195/65 R15 95T XL
Buy
5
Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 10p 205/55 R16 94T XL
Buy
5
Nokian Tires Hakkapeliitta 10p 185/65 R15 92T XL
Buy
5
Nokian Tires Nordman 8 195/65 R15 95T XL
Buy
5
Dmitry - 25.
11.2022
Nokian Tires Norrdman 8 185/65/15 new
I work in a taxi, that year I bought only 2 tires for the front drive. Approximately on December 20, I went to Nizhny Novgorod, went about 1000 kilometers, at a speed of 100 km per hour with a smooth turn, it practically does not blow off a maximum of 5 centimeters
5
Sergey - 24.11.2022
I drive 10th season
After the 4th season there are no spikes left. The tread is more than 70 percent of the snow, the ice is excellent, and the mileage is normal for more than 70,000 winters.
Thanks to the vianor.ru website, buying tires in the online store has become easy and convenient! The largest network of tire centers in the Nordic countries, Russia and the Baltic States offers a wide selection and favorable prices of tires of various sizes for the winter and summer seasons.
Evaluate all the advantages of vianor.ru today: on the site you can find a detailed description of each tire, read customer reviews and place an order with the opportunity to pick up the tires on a convenient day for you.
What are the advantages of VIANOR?
VIANOR is a network of premium tire centers founded in the early 1990s by Nokian Tires and specializing in tire sales and car maintenance. Throughout its development, the wide range of tires, the high level of comfort for customers and excellent service have remained unchanged advantages of the network. Each VIANOR tire center meets the requirements of the premium class and guarantees the high quality of service work using only high-quality materials.
What factors should be considered when choosing tires?
The main factors that you should focus on when choosing car tires are the climatic features of your region and the features of the road surface on which the car will be operated.
When comparing manufacturers' offers, it is also important to take into account not only the price of the models, but also the additional benefits from the purchase. Some manufacturers offer additional promotions - free tire fitting or a guarantee against accidental damage. Regardless of your needs and budget, you can always buy the right tires at vianor.ru.
How to choose tires by size?
The tire size consists of the tire section width, sidewall height and rim diameter. For example, in size 205/55 R16:205 is the tire profile width in millimeters, 55 is the sidewall height as a percentage of the profile width (in this case, 55% of 205), R is an indication of the radial design, and 16 is the landing (internal ) tire diameter. The complete tire size also contains information about the maximum permissible load and the maximum speed of movement (load and speed indices). Selection of tires by size is available on the vianor.
ru main page and in the tires section.
How to choose tires for a car?
Vehicle sizing is a convenient alternative to sizing and is especially useful in situations where you don't know the exact dimensions of the tires you need. As a result of this selection, you will receive a standard size (or several standard sizes) recommended by the manufacturer of your car. However, we recommend that you always double-check the most appropriate size in your vehicle's owner's manual. Selection of tires by car is available on the vianor.ru main page and in the tires section.
What services are available in the Vianor tire center network?
Vianor tire centers not only sell tires and rims, but also provide a wide range of car services. You can always check the availability of the necessary service and sign up online at a convenient tire center at vianor.
ru.
2,000,000 used parts, 3,500 disassembled cars and 1,500,000 new parts in stock
Mark Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Astra (cargo) Audi BAW (cargo) bmw BPW (cargo) BYD Belarus (cargo) Bentley Brilliance CASE (cargo) Cadillac changan Chery Chevrolet Chrysler Citroen DAF (cargo) Daewoo Daewoo (truck) Daihatsu Datsun Dodge Dongfeng ERF (cargo) FAW FOTON (cargo) Ferrari fiat Ford Ford (truck) Ford America Freightliner (cargo) Fruehauf (cargo) GAZ GAZ (truck) GM Geely Genesis Great Wall HOWO (cargo) hafei Haval hawtai Hino (cargo) Honda Hummer Hyundai Hyundai (truck) IZH Infiniti International (cargo) Iran Khadro Isuzu Isuzu (truck) Iveco Iveco (truck) JAC JCB (cargo) Jaguar Jeep John Deere (cargo) KAMAZ (cargo) KAVZ (cargo) Caravan (cargo) Kia LDV Lamborghini Lancia Land Rover landwind Lav (cargo) Lexus Lifan LuxGen MAN (truck) MAZ (truck) MZSA (cargo) Maserati Maybach Mazda mercedes benz Mercedes Benz (trucks) Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Nissan (truck) Opel PAZ (cargo) Peugeot Piaggio Porsche ROR (cargo) Ravon Renault Renault (truck) Respo (cargo) Rolls Royce Rover SAAB SAF Holland (cargo) SMB (cargo) Scania (trucks) Schmitz (cargo) Scion seat Shaanxi (cargo) Sisu (cargo) Skoda Smart Ssang Yong Ssang Yong (truck) Subaru Suzuki TAGAZ TONAR (cargo) Tesla Toyota Trailor (cargo) UAZ VAZ vw Volvo Volvo (truck) ZAZ Zotye
Model
Model
Show more
View more
Fiat Punto III/Grande Punto (199) 2005-2018
Disassembled: December 2022
VIN: ZFA1
VIN: 3N1BCAC111UK412982
more
Scania 4 R Series 1995-2007
Disassembled: December 2022
VIN: YS2R4x20001220692
0002 2-Toyota Corolla E12 9000 9000 9000
VIN: SB1KZ28E10f052409
Read more
Opel Astra J 2010-2017
Disassembled: December 200003
Vin: Xufpe6dc3c3009826
Skoda Octavia
Disassembled: November 2022
VIN: TmbCa41zxD2095143
Read more
Renault Laguna II
Disassembled: November 2022 VF1BG0V0V0V0V0V0V017245 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000
If you replaced the automatic transmission, and the car drives slowly
Why you can trust used units, what checks they pass.
