Discount Tire Debuts Omnichannel Concept Store to Speed Auto Service

Tire and wheel retailer Discount Tire has introduced “Pit Pass,” a concept store designed to help customers get serviced faster in a “drive-thru experience.”

The new store, based in the Atlanta area, allows consumers to wait in their cars or spend time shopping for tires while their vehicles are serviced, the Arizona company said in a news release Monday (Oct. 3).

While it encourages its customers to shop online, Discount Tire said the new store also gives them the option to drive over embedded tire scanners to get information about their tires’ condition and access the company’s in-house tire guide, Treadwell.

Pit Pass also offers what the company said is a new experience for drivers who need to get their tire pressure checked: a digital readout of their tire conditions from the displays in the drive-thru area, which helps them make “informed decisions” about tire replacement maintenance.

Based in Scottsdale, Discount Tire operates 1,110 stores. Last year, the company acquired Tire Rack, a direct-to-consumer tire retailer and distributor, calling it a “significant investment” in providing omnichannel customer experiences.

The launch of Pit Pass comes as American motorists are holding onto cars longer, leading to changing tides at auto parts retailers and repair centers.

See also: From Aging Cars to EVs to Record Gas Prices, Auto Parts Retailers Face Big Changes

As PYMNTS noted in May, the average vehicle age has risen to about 12 years, with inflation continuing and supplies of new cars dropping.

But while consumer driving and shopping patterns are changing, they haven’t dried up this year — something that “has put a premium on innovation and observational insight.”

Related: Tech Boosts Driver Confidence in Repair Shop Recommendations

Meanwhile, automotive service providers are increasingly using technology to back up their recommendations in an effort to reassure customers, PYMNTS reported in July. Among them is General Motors (GM), who is looking at expanding the use of UVeye vehicle inspection systems to the service lanes of more GM dealerships.

Already used at a handful of GM dealerships, this technology uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and high-definition cameras to examine customers’ vehicles for defects, missing parts and other safety issues.

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