Are custom wheel sales slowing down?
By: Mike Manges Fewer respondents to MTD’s 2007 Custom Wheel Survey reported they’re selling custom wheels than respondents to the same survey in 2005. Independent tire dealers know that selling custom wheels can be a lucrative niche if you possess the expertise to market them and the knowledge and equipment to mount them properly. And if you’re one of those dealers who’s worried about the competition selling them, results of Modern Tire Dealer’s 2007 Custom Wheel Survey reveal a trend that might be of interest: namely, fewer independent tire dealers seem to be selling aftermarket wheels. Sixty-three percent of respondents to this year’s survey report that they sell custom wheels. That’s a 13% drop from five years ago. Talking with dealers, it appears that custom wheel sales trends vary according to region and wheel type. On the East Coast, Gene Cunningham, owner of Belford Tire Center Inc. in Union, N.J., says his custom wheel sales in general aren’t what they once were. “I haven’t ha
