The EU tyre label, as a garage issue.

What you must display

The obligation sits with the seller, not only the manufacturer, and it applies to distance selling as well as the shop floor. In practice that means the rating information has to be visible to the customer at the point they choose, not produced afterwards on request.

Wording and enforcement differ by market, so regard your local regulator as the authority, not a summary like this. What’s consistent is the trend: more disclosure at the point of sale, not less.

The real risk for an online shop isn't a fine. It's a listing that can't display ratings due to a catalogue that lacks them, a data issue dressed as compliance.

Where the data must come from

Every tyre sold is registered by its maker, and the label comes from that registration, not from your input.

This is vital for a garage as it ensures the label is verifiable. Customers, competitors, or regulators can check the registration against your listing, meaning manually entered ratings from a supplier PDF are a risk, not a time-saver.

The tidy method is to keep the registration ID with each product in your catalogue and display the official label from it. This way, your shop stays true to the source, as it shows the source.

Why good display boosts sales, not reduces them

Shops sometimes hide ratings on the assumption that a customer who sees a poor grade will buy the cheaper tyre anyway. The opposite is usually true.

Ratings give a customer a reason to trade up that is not your opinion. Wet grip in particular is a safety figure with an obvious meaning, and a customer comparing an A against a lower grade in the same size will frequently choose the A once the difference is in front of them.

Without ratings, the only difference between two tyres is price, leading to a list that always sells the cheapest option.

Placing it effectively.

Placement is key; a rating hidden on a product page after the choice is made is just decoration.

• On the comparison list, ratings should be visible during selection, not after.
• Next to the price, as the aim is to give meaning to the price difference.
• With the official label on the product page for customers seeking the source.
• On the quote or emailed basket, where decisions are often made at home.
• In a format that works on a phone screen, as most decisions occur there.

The test is if a customer can choose a tyre based on factors other than price without asking questions.

What the label fails to provide.

Important to know to avoid misusing it.

It reveals nothing about tyre longevity, often the largest cost difference and what customers want to know. It lacks details on dry grip, comfort, handling limits, and snow performance, which has a separate sidewall marking.

The label supports informed choice, not a full sales pitch. Shops that excel combine it with local insights on durability, offering customers unique knowledge and a real reason to choose you.

Make it a catalogue requirement, not just a task.

The recurring issue is a storefront where some products display ratings while others do not, due to varying data formats from suppliers.

Inconsistency is worse than no ratings; customers interpret missing ratings as negative. If ratings are a sales tool, they must be consistent across the range, or gaps undermine your intent.

View EU tyre label data as part of the catalogue, not a task for spare time. When it's a listing requirement, the storefront remains consistent, eliminating annual compliance concerns.