Demand for cold weather tyres across Europe during winter 2010 saw volumes reach an all-time high, says Euromaster Group.

Its sales of the high-grip seasonal car and van fitments exceeded 1.5 million units for the first time, securing the company’s position as a leading cold weather tyre expert.

Euromaster’s total cold weather tyre sales in Europe rose by 20% from 1.4 million in 2009 to 1.68 million in 2010. UK volumes rose 955% compared with sales in 2009, driven largely by demand from public and private sector fleets, with pre-Christmas demand outstripping supply*.

Ian Stuart, group managing director of ATS Euromaster, said: “In a tough economy, firms which minimise downtime and keep going in spite of the snow and ice have a clear competitive advantage. We can’t control the weather, but our experience, both on the continent and in the UK, shows that we can help fleets cope with it more effectively by preparing their vehicles in advance.”

After successive bad winters, ATS Euromaster is predicting further growth in the cold weather tyre market in 2011 and is already engaging with new customers to discuss tyre requirements for next winter.

However, Stuart warns: “The rise in demand from across Europe means that fleets need to place advance orders before the end of March in order to guarantee stock for next winter. Businesses waiting for the first snow to fall in November are likely to face another winter sat at the side of the road, tyres spinning and not going anywhere fast. It’s essential to plan ahead.”