The TireSuperboy was developed with the aim of helping tyre resellers to reduce their business costs and increase profitability.
TireSuperboy Aims to Help Tyre Resellers Reduce Business Costs and Increase Profitability
Based on a report from Google, Temasek, Bain & Company last year, the e-commerce sector in Southeast Asia experienced massive growth before the pandemic. The sector increased almost 600 per cent in just four years, between USD 5.5 billion in 2015 to USD 38 billion in 2020. Surpassing expectation, the outbreak of Covid-19 has accelerated this trend.
The digital transformation process in the Malaysian tyre industry is rather slow when compared to other countries. Although the country has seen several tyre retailing platforms emerge in recent years, these platforms have mostly catered for consumers. TireSuperboy, however is a social media platform created exclusively for tyre resellers, automotive servicing and workshop operators.
The rationale behind TireSuperboy
“Websites and social media have rapidly become crucial marketing and communication tools, as well as sales channels for every business in today’s extremely competitive and rapidly evolving market. The lockdown to contain Covid-19 has underscored the importance of e-commerce in keeping economic systems resilient. Our parent company, Hock Lian Hin Sdn Bhd has been in the tyre wholesale business for more than 58 years, so we understand the industry and the challenges that tyre retailers are facing, especially amid the pandemic. TireSuperboy was developed with the aim of helping tyre resellers to reduce their business costs and increase profitability,” said Hock Lian Hin & JY Wheels Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Sam Yu.
Sam noted that tyre servicing centres and automotive workshop operators are offline service providers, but digitalisation has accelerated the pace of competition in many industries, including the tyre industry. Some of the online marketplaces are wreaking havoc, he pointed out by selling tyres lower than the market price, putting tyre reseller’s margins under pressure.
“Tyre servicing and automotive workshops operators have to reflect on their current business strategies to keep pace with future business models, getting in on new trends with renewed effort to leverage on social media. That way, they can be prepared for the customers of the future. Being a member of TireSuperboy, tyre retailers will unlock the potential of a new business concept that offers them both a sustainable and competitive advantage,” he added.
How TireSuperboy works
Operated by JY Wheels, the subsidiary of Hock Lian Hin, TireSuperboy uses Facebook as its marketing and sales platform. “We leverage on Facebook business pages and as a private group, to ensure that our members are a good fit for the group and that they are true tyre retailers. Interested companies have to apply for membership by sending a private message to our Facebook business page and it must be approved by our group administrator. As this is not a platform that is catered for end-users, we do not accept any personal applicants.”
Sam said that after joining, members will receive a link that invites them to TireSuperboy’s private stream where the company will showcase their range of products. He explained that the concept of TireSuperboy is like a live mall that offers a wide range of tyre and wheels products. For tyres, he said that TireSuperboy currently carries over 10 brands ranging from budget to major and international brands from local and international manufacturers, covering major, high range, mid-range, budget and new brands that have never been heard of in the local market.
Sam revealed that the frequency of TireSuperboy’s private live streaming is not as frequent as those catered for end-users to maintain a continual audience engagement and presence. “We do not stream every day, but we constantly put up new live content and stream when we have something interesting to introduce or offer. We can’t see our customers face to face due to the movement control order (MCO), so private streams enable us to stay connected with our customers (members). Of course, these streams can also be archived to watch after transmission, so our members do not have to worry if they missed our live streams when they were broadcasted.”
Benefits
There are many benefits for TireSuperboy members, Sam explained, such as a breakaway from the traditional procurement method. “No minimum quantity order is required for our members to enjoy lower unit prices of our products. That means, even if they only buy one pcs of tyres from us, they are still entitled to lower unit prices or wholesale pricing. This allows our members to make their order and quantity on an as needs basis, helping them to lower their inventory and the inventory carrying costs. The savings that they make can be used for other investments such as extending their product offerings by buying other brands of tyre products to provide more options for their customers. Additionally, members can place their order online any time, from anywhere with their mobile phone or any devices.
Orders will be processed immediately after the successful payment, Sam continued, and the company will get them delivered by the next day for the Klang Valley and two days outside of the Klang Valley. To provide the best price for their members, Sam said that TireSuperboy only accepts cash because accepting credit card payments will lead to additional costs that affect their ability to offer members the best wholesale price.
“We are selling our products at very competitive prices to our members, and we believe this will be a great help to many tyre retailers, especially the small ones who are struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic. This not only enables our members to penetrate the market and secure their customers with more attractive pricing but to also expand their product offerings with the savings made by purchasing from us.”
Apart from tyre retailers, he added that the company also welcomes tyre or wheel wholesalers and distributors that are willing to work together with them. “We do not view them as competitors, but potential business partners. TireSuperboy is an open platform for any companies that would like to sell their products.”
Market Response
Commenting on the market response, he said, that they have more than 400 registered members and more than 500 tyre retailers joining their private Facebook group since their official launch on 5th May this year.
“The TireSuperboy platform allows us an opportunity to reach out to potential customers over a wider geographic area. It is also a useful channel for us to generate leads and boost sales. As TireSuperboy is a new market approach and the first-of-its kind platform in Malaysia, it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing. Our greatest challenge is building and earning customer confidence and trust. To do that, we have registered our company on Google My Business and have shown our warehouse on the platform. In fact, for those who know our parent company, Hock Lian Hin, they will know that the company has already established a high level of expertise in the tyre wholesale business and has proven to be a reliable partner for our customers.”
Sam explained that with their future plans, they’ll look to further expand their product offerings beyond tyres and wheels. “With the impact of the global pandemic and the environment shaped by “the new normal,” we have seen that being present on social media platforms and other online networks have already become a firmly established part of many brand’s marketing strategies. Although we are still learning along the way, we believe that we are on the right track with a new investor backing us in our mission to digitalise wholesale business.”
TireSuperboy – 轮胎零售商的独家直播商城
根据谷歌（Google）、淡马锡（Temasek）、贝恩公司（Bain & Company）去年的一份联合报告，在冠病大流行之前，东南亚的电子商务行业经历了巨大的增长。该行业在短短四年内增长了近 600%，从 2015 年的 55 亿美元到 2020 年的 380 亿美元。冠病的爆发加速了这一趋势，带来超出预期的增长。
在冠病大流行期间，传统零售额明显下降，但电子商务行业却一直处于上升趋势。对数字服务的需求也继续扩大到东南亚最大的城市以外，包括马来西亚有超过一半的新数字用户生活在非大城市地区。这个情况在疫情期间愈发明显，电子商务带动了许多在线商业和社交活动，影响了消费者的购物和购买。
与其他的国家相比，马来西亚轮胎行业的数字化转型过程相当缓慢。尽管我国近年来出现了多个轮胎零售平台，但这些平台主要面向消费者。然而，TireSuperboy 是一个专门为轮胎代理商、汽车服务和修车厂运营商创建的社交媒体平台。
TireSuperboy背后的原理
福联兴和JY Wheels 私人有限公司首席执行长尤霆幃表示： “在当今竞争激烈且发展快速的市场中，网站和社交媒体已迅速成为每个企业重要的营销和沟通工具以及销售渠道。为了遏制冠病传播而实施的封锁，凸显了电子商务在保持经济系统灵活性方面的重要性。我们的母公司福联兴私人有限公司从事轮胎批发业务超过 58 年，因此我们非常了解这个行业和轮胎零售商面临的挑战，尤其是在冠病大流行期间。 TireSuperboy 的开发，旨在帮助轮胎代理商降低业务成本并提高盈利能力。”
尤霆幃指出，轮胎服务中心和汽车修理厂运营商是线下服务提供商，但数字化加速了包括轮胎行业在内的许多行业的竞争步伐。他指出，一些在线市场以低于市场价格出售轮胎，不仅使轮胎代理商的利润面临压力，也搅乱了市场。
“轮胎服务中心和汽车修理厂运营商必须反思他们当前的商业战略，以便跟上未来的商业模式，重新努力并通过利用社交媒体来把握新趋势。这样，他们就可以为未来的客户做好准备。作为 TireSuperboy成员的轮胎零售商将开启一个充满潜力的全新商业，为他们提供可持续性和竞争优势。”他补充说。
TireSuperboy如何运作
TireSuperboy由福联兴子公司 JY Wheels 负责运营，并以脸书作为营销平台。 “我们利用脸书的业务页面和私人群组，确保成员符合我们的群组条件，也就是他们必须是真正的轮胎零售商。有兴趣的公司必须私讯我们的脸书业务页面申请会员资格，并且必须得到我们群组管理员的批准。由于这不是一个面向最终用户的平台，我们不接受任何个人申请。”
尤霆幃说，成为会员后，他们就会收到一个链接，邀请他们进入 TireSuperboy 的私人直播，公司将在那里展示他们的产品系列。他解释说，TireSuperboy 的概念就像一个提供各种轮胎和轮圈产品的直播商城。在轮胎方面，他表示TireSuperboy目前拥有10多个品牌，从本地和国际制造商的预算品牌、主要品牌到国际品牌，涵盖了主要、高档、中档、预算轮胎，甚至在本地市场从未听说过的新品牌。
尤霆幃透露，TireSuperboy私人直播的频率并不像那些以最终用户为目标的平台所提供的那样频繁，因为后者需要保持持续的观众参与度和存在感。 “我们不是每天都在直播，但是当我们拥有一些有趣的产品想要介绍或提供给会员时，我们就会进行直播和推出新的内容。行动管制令 (MCO)的实施，使我们无法与客户见面，然而私人直播使我们能够与客户（会员）保持联系。当然，这些直播在播出后都可以存档，所以我们的会员不必担心他们错过我们的直播，因为他们可以在后来回看。”
好处
尤霆幃解释说，TireSuperboy的会员享有许多好处，例如可以脱离传统的采购方式。 “我们的会员无需最低订购量就可享有产品的更低单价。这意味着，即使他们只是从我们这里购买一条轮胎，他们仍然有权享受更低的单价或批发价。这样一来，会员就可以按需要他们所需要的数量订购轮胎，帮助他们降低库存和库存持有成本。他们节省下来的资金可用于其他投资，例如购买其他品牌的轮胎来扩展他们的产品供应，为客户提供更多选择。此外，会员也可以随时随地通过手机或任何装置在线下单。”
付款成功后，尤霆幃继续说，该公司就会立即处理订单。巴生谷内的客户隔天就可收到他们订购的轮胎，巴生谷以外的则需要两天的时间。为了为会员提供最优惠的价格，尤霆幃表示，TireSuperboy 只接受现金，因为接受信用卡付款会带来额外费用，从而影响他们为会员提供最优批发价的能力。
“我们以极具竞争力的价格向会员销售我们的产品，我们相信这对许多轮胎零售商，尤其是在冠病大流行期间挣扎求生的小型轮胎零售商有很大的帮助。这不仅能使会员以更具吸引力的价格渗透市场，而且还能保留他们的客户。此外，他们还可运用从我们这里购买省下的钱来扩大他们的产品范围。”
除了轮胎零售商，他补充说，公司也欢迎愿意与他们合作的轮胎或轮圈批发商和分销商。“我们不认为他们是竞争对手，而是潜在的商业伙伴。 TireSuperboy 是一个开放平台，可供任何想要销售产品的公司使用。”
市场反应
在谈到市场反应时，他说，TireSuperboy自今年 5 月 5 日正式推出以来，如今已经有 400 多名注册会员和 500 多家轮胎零售商加入了他们的脸书私人群组。
“TireSuperboy 平台让我们有机会接触到更广泛区域的潜在客户。它也是我们产生潜在客户和促进销售的有用渠道。由于 TireSuperboy 是一种接触市场的新方法，也是马来西亚首开先例的平台，因此它并非一帆风顺。我们最大的挑战是建立和赢得客户的信心和信任。为此，我们在Google My Business上注册了我们的公司，并在该平台上展示了我们的仓库。事实上，认识我们母公司福联兴的人都知道福联兴在轮胎批发业务方面拥有高水平的专业知识，并已被证实是客户可靠的合作伙伴。”
尤霆幃解释说，根据他们未来的计划，他们将寻求进一步扩展轮胎和轮圈以外的产品。 “在全球冠病大流行的影响和‘新常态’塑造的环境下，我们已经看到社交媒体平台和其他在线网络已成为许多品牌营销策略的牢固组成部分。尽管我们仍在不断学习，但从新投资者愿意支持我们实现批发业务的数字化使命，我们相信我们正走在正确的轨道上。”
