PMF speaks to Andy Taylor, UK & Ireland Sales at TRICO, about how the company can help factors over the winter period.
Q. Please could you introduce yourself to our readers, Andy? What is your background, and what is your role at TRICO?
Andy Taylor (AT): I’ve been with TRICO for three years now, and I look after sales in the UK and Ireland. I’ve been working in the automotive aftermarket for the past 30 years and during that time, I’ve seen all levels of the trade, from retail to wholesale. I’ve worked for original equipment (OE) suppliers and manufacturers, as well as distributors.
Q. Of course, with winter well underway, motor factors are always on the lookout for seasonal products that they can push to their customers. Why should they choose TRICO’s wiper blades?
AT: TRICO has been producing premium wiper blade products for all major vehicle manufacturers for more than 100 years. The same OE expertise is used to bring reliable, innovative wiper blade products that perform when they are needed most.
Q. To your mind, what sets TRICO’s offering apart from that of other blades suppliers?
AT: Our premium quality blades offer flexibility of range in both multi-fit and tailor-fit blades. The Exact Fit range covers a complete range of conventional, beam, hybrid and rear blades. The blades’ style, fit and performance are the same as the original blade that came on the vehicle.
Q. It’s great to hear that the company is rolling out its two-metre bays to its entire customer base. Please tell us more about the display system.
AT: For many motor factors, storing and displaying wiper blades can be messy and can take up a lot of shelf space. Our two-metre stands fit the entire Exact Fit range, which gives 99% front and rear coverage of the car parc. We aimed to create not only a good use of space, but also an area in which customers would know they could find a quality wiper blade product with ease. For retail customers, the stand is a clear destination for them to find wiper blades, as well as an eye-catching display for impulse buyers.
Reducing stock keeping units (SKUs) by up to 35% compared to other OE brands is also a critical advantage for stockists, and we are able to achieve this because its unique clips will fit up to three arms in one. It also has a single pack philosophy, which gives added flexibility with stock and drastically reduces the number of SKUs required.
Q. How can motor factors really make the most out of the system?
AT: The two-metre stand is ideally suited to a retail area where it can make the biggest impact on customers and increase impulse purchases, so we would recommend placing these stands near the tills for maximum effectiveness.
Q. What other marketing materials does TRICO offer its motor factor customers to help boost their sales, especially in the winter months when wiper blades are essential?
AT: In our TRICO merchandise catalogue, we have a wide range of merchandise available, including branded jackets and hats, as well as point of sale posters. We also ran the 2020 £20,000 giveaway throughout November and December to incentivise stockists buying through our UK distributing partners. We had more than 1,000 prizes available, including gift vouchers, Christmas hampers, hotel breaks, football shirts and TRICO stock packs, as well as a top prize of a £2,000 technology bundle, which was well received by our distributors and their customers, and certainly boosted sales!
Q. Are there any future plans to offer other display systems that factors can use to their advantage?
AT: We have smaller floor stands and wall stands available in our range as well, for use in workshops or retail spaces. These suit both the Exact Fit and Flex ranges, and also provide a greater impact and focus on increasing wiper blade sales.
