The network recently celebrated the opening of its 200th Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto Store

The launch of the Bridgestone Select franchise model in 2006 went against industry conventions and challenged the perception of what a tyre store should be, says Bridgestone.
Bridgestone Select reportedly stunned the industry in its ambition to make the showroom more welcoming and removing tyres from the showroom environment.
Bridgestone’s retail offering also became even more convenient with the introduction of mechanical servicing, which led to the evolution of the brand to become Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto.
Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto introduced its e-commerce platform in 2019 and has continued to go from strength to strength with its transparent online pricing, and seamless online to store transactions.
Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto’s online offering provides the opportunity for customers to select their ideal tyre online and book at their nearest store, with flexibility in payments either on the website or instore, including buy now pay later options through Afterpay and Zip Pay.
The network set another new industry benchmark in 2023 with the nationwide roll out of the Bridgestone Tech Check platform, which gives motorists a mechanic’s perspective through a short video outlining what needs fixing now, and what can wait.
Recently, the store network celebrated an exciting milestone – its 200th store.
According to Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Heath Barclay, the milestone opening comes at a time when trust, transparency and customer service is more critical than ever.

“We understand that tyres and mechanical servicing can be tasks that many motorists dread, so we’re committed to delivering the best possible experience for Australians through our network of 200 Bridgestone Select Tyre & Auto stores,” Heath said.
“Trust and confidence are so important when it comes to car maintenance, especially in the current economic climate, which is why Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto’s commitment to transparency and exceptional customer service continues to prove a winner with Australian motorists.”
Bridgestone Australia Sales Director, Claudio Sodano, says that Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto’s growth has come from a customer focused approach in its offerings.
“Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto has evolved significantly since the opening of the first store, to the opening of store number 200, Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto Werribee, but our commitment to customer service has remained the same,” Claudio said.
“We’ve continued to put the customer first and in doing so, we’ve been able to grow to be one of the most extensive networks in the country as well as one of the most trusted providers of tyre and mechanical services in Australia.”
Claudio highlighted that the tyre and mechanical industry has gone through a period of significant change in recent years but emphasised the continued and sustained growth the Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto network has benefited from during this time.
“As an industry we’ve seen some major shakeups in ownership over the past few years, but we continue to benefit from steady growth from our retail and franchise model,” Claudio said.
“The opening of our 200th store is another reason both motorists and the industry can have confidence in the Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto brand.
“Over the past few years we’ve benefited from significant network growth, and that’s largely due to our collaborative approach with our franchisees and adoption of new initiatives like Bridgestone Tech Check, and the implementation of programs to support our business partners.”

The network of 200 Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto stores – the primary retail channel for Bridgestone with stores in all capital and major cities throughout the country – is complemented by a further 150 Bridgestone Service Centres delivering great service to regional areas of Australia.
Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto is a multi-award winning customer service model, with the network taking out Gold in the 2023 Reader’s Digest Quality Service Awards in the tyre retailer category, and Most Outstanding Customer Service award for Car Servicing in the CANSTAR Blue rankings, with a perfect five-star rating across all categories.

New store provides new era for industry expert
The opening of Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto Werribee not only marked an exciting milestone for the network of stores throughout Australia, it was also the start of a new era for franchisee Marco Licalsi.
Marco boasts nearly three decades of experience in the tyre and automotive industry, having started as a tyre fitter and spending time working in the tyre retail space.
For the past 16 years, he has built his business under another brand, and earlier this year he faced a fork in the road.
It was then he opted to make the switch to the established and fast-growing Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto network – painting his store red and adopting the Bridgestone way of business.
“It is not true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” Marco said.
“I’m excited to join the Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto network. Australians trust Bridgestone more than any other tyre brand, they set the standard in our industry and importantly, I’ve always been a fan of their product.
“There is a lot of structure and process around the Bridgestone franchise model, and it’s all designed to support business success.
“Everyone involved is so professional, and it was the Bridgestone staff that ultimately sold me on joining the network. The support team behind the scenes has been fantastic.”

According to Marco, it is Bridgestone’s continued innovation and investment into systems that makes it such a compelling prospect as a tyre and mechanical business owner, with strong customer focused initiatives.
“Becoming a Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto store means I can offer more to my own customers including e-commerce and the Bridgestone Tech Check video platform.
“These are two things that have been so well received by customers and make a huge difference to the experience that customers receive.
“I can’t believe the difference that Bridgestone Tech Check is making. Quite often we’ll get a response from the customer saying ‘just do it’ before we’ve even called them to confirm the price. It has removed the hard sell for mechanical services.
“The fleet structure and business associate programs that Bridgestone has in place, such as with Uber, is also a key selling point. It’s all about the customers, and it’s the little things that make a huge difference.”
Heath said he was pleased to welcome Marco to the family.
“I am thrilled to welcome Marco and his team at Bridgestone Select Tyre and Auto into the network as our milestone 200th store. I know they will further strengthen our extensive footprint of local, trusted experts for tyre and mechanical needs,” Heath said.

To learn more, visit www.bridgestone.com.au