Tire Review is showcasing 2019 “Newsmakers” — companies that have made headlines in the past year with tire-related news about new technology, plant openings, marketing initiatives, dealer program updates, product launches and more — that made the list as determined by top engagement on tirereview.com. After a brief overview of each Newsmakers’ newsworthy item(s), you’ll find a company executive’s answer to this question: What can the industry expect from your company in 2020?

News in 2019

Monro acquired more than 60 retail stores and made its foray into the west coast in 2019. In March, the auto retail giant signed on a 40-store acquisition of Certified Tire & Service Centers and went on to acquire stores in Nevada and Idaho to continue its westward expansion. Monro also acquired more than 20 stores in Louisiana. In expanding its tire installation program with Amazon announced in 2018, the company added 400 more Monro locations in nine additional states across the central and western U.S. to service Amazon customers. As part of its “Monro.Forward” plan, the company also upgraded more than 1,200 stores.  

Brett Ponton, President and CEO:

“During 2020, we look forward to continuing our strong progress on our Monro.Forward strategy, which focuses on improving our in-store execution and the customer experience to drive higher traffic and an increased overall customer lifetime value. Our key areas of focus for the upcoming year include:

• Expanding our store refresh/rebranding program across our base, the largest initiative of our Monro.Forward strategy, to create a more consistent store appearance and standardized in-store operating procedures;
• Driving growth through our disciplined acquisition strategy, focused on solidifying our leadership position in the markets we serve, while continuing to expand our footprint into attractive new regions; and
• Enhancing our investments in technology across all areas of our business, including a new tire category management system and a cloud-based store scheduling and staffing program, which will be critical to our future success by improving our customers in-store experience and our teammate productivity. 

“While we are still in the early innings of our transformation, we look forward to executing our strategy in the year ahead, with the goal of building a scalable platform capable of sustainable growth.”

For more of Tire Review’s 2019 Newsmakers, click here.

Check out the rest of the December digital edition of Tire Review here.