Discount Tire is opening its first “Pit Pass” drive-thru concept store in the Atlanta area, the company announced.
According to the company, the Discount Tire Pit Pass concept will integrate technologies, including embedded tire scanners, digital displays, online ordering and appointment-focused booking, as well as a drive-thru experience for the customer.
The Discount Tire Pit Pass concept store features an approximate 5,000-sq.-ft. ground floor footprint and 2,600 sq. ft. of subsurface workspace and is markedly different from the traditional tire shop, the company said.
As customers enter a drive-thru lane with a covered canopy, they are greeted by a Discount Tire employee to confirm the services scheduled and are then guided by the employee and digital displays to one of three bays. Similar to a racetrack pit crew and fully visible to the customer, Discount Tire’s expert technicians are using the latest technologies, including embedded tire scanners that evaluate tread depth and tire condition and Zebra mobile devices to complete services, Discount Tire representatives said. Digital displays give each customer’s vehicle status in real time and allow tire technicians to share updates and product or service recommendations. The entire experience will enable customers the option to remain in their vehicle.
“Our goal is to meet the busy lifestyle of today’s modern customer and get them taken care of faster and with more personal convenience,” said Tom Williams, chief experience officer at Discount Tire. “The new Pit Pass concept store is a great testament to innovation that follows putting the customer first, just as we have done for decades to offer an inviting, easy, and safe experience.”
Customers visiting the Discount Tire Pit Pass concept store will be encouraged to shop for tires and wheels online, the company said, and to book an appointment in advance using the Discount Tire mobile app or DiscountTire.com. Customers who prefer to shop on-site can visit the Discount Tire Pit Pass concept store, drive over the embedded tire scanners, and receive information about their tires’ condition.
Discount Tire’s Pit Pass concept store also offers after-hours functionality for customers who need their tire pressure checked, the company said, and can provide a digital readout of their tire conditions from the displays in the drive-thru experience.
“The expansion of the buy-online trend for tire and wheel purchases creates an opportunity to test new ways to meet the changing needs customers expect today. Pit Pass allows us to meet these needs and potentially change the traditional tire, wheel, and service experience moving forward,” said Williams.
