The first quarter of 2016 was a very good period for the Polish tyre industry. Increases were recorded in all the following categories - passenger car, truck and motorcycle tyres.
"We have recorded the largest increases in tyre sales in Poland in years- says Piotr Sarnecki, General Director of the Polish Tyre Industry Association.
The sales of passenger car tyres rose in the first quarter by 7 percent compared with the same period of the preceding year, truck tyres by 11 percent , while a record 24 percent increase in sales was recorded in the motorcycle tyre category.
"Increased sales of passenger tyres are the result of pre-season inventory building by distributors, who significantly reduced them in 2015. It's also worth noting the very dynamic growth in sales of tyres in the highest market segments (Performance and SUV)," Jacek Pryczek, PTIA Chairman of the Board states. "For at least a couple of years we have observed an increase in sales of vehicles equipped by manufacturers with 17-inch tyres and larger. Therefore, the market for replacements of these products is growing and this trend should continue in the following years," Jacek Pryczek adds.
The only decrease, amounting to 29 percent, concerned agricultural tyres. "Tyres used in agriculture are a very specific category - highly seasonal on the one hand and with a longer service life on the other. Farm debts also have an influence, which has affected the liquidity of this sector," Piotr Sarnecki explains.
It is worth noting a significant 11 percent increase in the sales of truck tyres."The reasons for the improvement in this segment should be seen in the relatively good condition of EU economies, the substantial exchange of goods between markets and the related activity of transport fleets. It has to be noted that Polish transport fleets are a strong force on this market, servicing a huge volume of international transport in Western Europe," Jacek Pryczek concludes.
The situation of the tyre industry from the European perspective, as a whole, also gives rise to optimism. Across the continent, in comparison with the results for the first quarter of 2015, the following were noted: a 3 percent increase in sales of passenger car tyres, a 5 percent increase in sales of truck tyres and a 4 percent increase in the motorcycle tyre category. A decline was recorded only in the case of agricultural tyres, same as in Poland, in this case amounting to 7 percent.
Source: Polish Tyre Industry Association