Protyre News

• Bridgestone unveils new ‘e-CENTRE’ assessment which aims to improve the customer experience at tyre retailers.

• Protyre Autocare in Crown Industrial Estate to become first centre to pilot e-CENTRE concept

• Bridgestone to support garage to implement improvements including solar panel installations and EV servicing.

A Taunton automotive retail centre will provide a unique glimpse into the future of mobility, after becoming the first garage in the UK to adopt Bridgestone’s ‘e-CENTRE’ concept to reflect a significant evolution in the future of tyre retail.

Protyre Autocare, based in Crown Industrial Estate, is aiming to revolutionise the way that vehicles are catered for, with a sustainable approach to car maintenance in partnership with Bridgestone.

Bridgestone partnered with Ernst & Young to identify future Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements for tyre retailers.  Using these requirements as a guide, Bridgestone evolved this to an assessment which includes 85 different criteria.  Protyre Autocare’s Taunton centre is now being assessed on these standards, to enable it to achieve Bridgestone e-CENTRE status. 

Bridgestone will actively support the depot in implementing identified improvements and will offer their guidance and expertise to enhance the driver experience. Protyre Autocare has become the first to sign up with its Taunton centre being the first pilot depot and has undergone the extensive assessment process, as it works to achieve Bridgestone ‘e-CENTRE status’ or ‘e-CENTRE Pioneer Status’ which Bridgestone intends to be the benchmark in retail & ESG excellence.

Bridgestone plans to assess hundreds of tyre retailers across Europe over the next couple of years with the intention of accrediting 150 as e-CENTRES in a £1 million investment.

It is envisaged that Bridgestone e-CENTRE Pioneer depots will represent a massive departure from a conventional garage aesthetically, but importantly, they will also adhere to a number of best practices including solar panel installations, staff training on premium product performance and road safety initiatives and even hyper-local donation campaigns to support their local communities.

Stan Watson, Retail Director of Protyre Autocare said: "We are extremely pleased to be the only national retailer working with Bridgestone on the e-CENTRES initiative. As the UK's fastest growing supplier and fitter of tyres, along with our broad range of automotive aftercare services, we understand that as we grow we need to ensure our retail centres must not only meet the needs of today's customer, but the customer of the future. We are already implementing many of the initiatives identified in Bridgestone's e-CENTRE assessment, including sustainably sourced materials for our workshops, an enhanced training program for our staff and road safety initiatives. The e-CENTRES accreditation for our Taunton centre will help us communicate these benefits to our customers."      

Bridgestone’s Head of Marketing UK and Ireland, and e-CENTRES project lead Andy Mathias said that the e-CENTRE concept embodies the company’s holistic approach to business around future mobility.

“We developed the Bridgestone e-CENTRE concept on the back of an extensive study with Ernst & Young and additionally conducted our own research with motorists, which revealed that over a third of motorists value a garage which has responsible recycling practices1.”

Bridgestone commissioned the research to gain a better understanding of motorists’ mindsets, which validated their outlook towards automotive retail and future mobility.

In this recent insight into purchasing trends in the UK automotive retail sector, Bridgestone can also reveal that almost a quarter (23%) would be more likely to visit a garage if it had proven sustainability credentials1, whether it be renewable energy sources or effective adoption of EV practices.

Andy added: “Bridgestone e-CENTRE’s is a concept that we’re bringing to reality because it’s the right thing to do for the future. It embodies the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, which is our global corporate pledge that clearly defines the value we will deliver to society, our customers, and future generations through a set of eight focus areas*.”

“We want to improve the buying experience as motorists enter each Bridgestone e-CENTRE accredited store, and the Protyre Taunton centre is already a great example of this as it already has a contemporary customer space and digital screens educating customers on vehicle related topics – as part of the national retailer’s rebrand rollout.

“This is one of the biggest projects we have undertaken in collaboration with our retail partners. We’re showing that we have the passion to make a tangible difference to the industry and society as a whole. A Bridgestone e-CENTRE will not only represent a better way of doing business, but it will represent giving customers a better experience in the future.”

*Bridgestone’s premium tyre portfolio and approach to sustainability is embodied in the Bridgestone E8 Commitment – a set of eight areas (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, Empowerment) that provide a compass to guide strategic priorities, decision making and actions throughout every area of the business.

Adding in the more than tyres - autocare - part of our brand.