Tyre pricing that updates automatically.

Why line-by-line tyre pricing always fluctuates

A price list is a snapshot. Supplier costs change, promotions vary, and exchange rates fluctuate, so once you export a list and price it manually, you’re relying on outdated information.

The visible issue is margins that vary drastically without reason. Some lines end up priced below cost after unnoticed supplier increases, while others are priced too high and simply don’t sell.

The core issue is the lack of auditability. With each price being a decision made months prior, there’s no standard for comparison, making errors undetectable until spotted by a customer or accountant.

Price by rule, not individually

A rule is a policy expressible in a sentence: this size range has this markup, with this minimum, rounded this way. Rules are concise enough to debate and amend intentionally.

Most garages need just a few. A typical structure appears as follows.

• A base markup by category, as premium, mid-range, and budget seldom warrant the same percentage.
• A minimum price per fitment, ensuring no line is sold below the cost of running the bay.
• A rounding rule, as prices ending in a sensible figure seem more thoughtful than calculated.
• A ceiling or market check on high-demand sizes, where being significantly above the local market risks losing the booking.
• An override list for the few lines you truly wish to price manually.

Tyre pricing this way is auditable: a price is either the rule applied correctly or a deliberate exception, and it’s clear which. The purpose of the override list is its existence and brevity. If it has two hundred entries, you revert to line pricing with added steps.

Begin with a maintained catalogue

Rules only function if applied to accurate data. Most pricing issues stem from catalogue errors: mismatched sizes, missing load and speed ratings, or the same tyre listed under different names.

Using a maintained catalogue eliminates the biggest hidden cost. Your role shifts to setting the rules instead of matching a supplier CSV to shelf stock.

It also ensures the storefront is transparent. A customer searching by registration should see sizes that truly fit their car, with the required manufacturer ratings, only possible with an accurate catalogue.

Fitted prices outperform headline prices.

Customers focus on the final cost. A low tyre price with added fitting, balancing, valve, and disposal feels like a trap, converting worse than a slightly higher upfront fitted price.

It's simpler to manage. One price to quote, one on the invoice, no counter discussions about inclusions.

For genuinely different costs, price them as separate products, not extras. A mobile fit incurs travel and time a bay job doesn’t, so it needs its own price, not a checkout surcharge.

Focus on the rule, not the range.

Pricing by rule simplifies maintenance. Instead of checking thousands of prices, you review five rules regularly, and the range adjusts accordingly.

A sensible routine is to check the floor when costs change, review the market for top-selling sizes monthly, and reassess markup bands once or twice a year.

Look for a band where you win every quote, indicating potential lost revenue, and a band where you win none, suggesting the floor or markup is off, not the market.

Where an agent is beneficial, and where it isn’t.

An AI agent excels at the mechanical tasks: mapping a supplier list to the catalogue, applying your rules, flagging outliers, and repeating this with each list update.

Don't hand your pricing policy over. The rule is a business choice about your market position, and that's yours. Provide the agent with the rule and let it handle the repetitive task of consistent application.

The practical test: change one number in a rule and see the entire range update, with exceptions needing human input. If not, you're still pricing by line.