BURNT HILLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Living in the Northeast, having good tires is critical, especially in winter. Some issues with the supply of rubber are causing not only delays but some price increases.
If you’re checking out a new set of tires, you may want to check the price tag too. Due to a supply chain issue in Asia, certain brands of tires are either not available at the moment or costing more at the shop. “There are definitely certain brands and sizes that we’re availability issues with. I would say any of the major brands, depending on the sizing. We get daily deliveries from wholesalers, it just depends on which wholesaler I can get the product at,” says Matt Drummond, assistant manager at Gil’s Garage in Burnt Hills.
Drummond says normally, at the start of a new year, the cost for tires can increase slightly, but this year, that is not the case. He says he has seen a price increase between eight and 18 percent for certain brands. And, if you are looking to match just one tire, like one of his customer’s, you may have to wait.
“She came in, her son had an issue with a curb and was trying to find that tire so I can match it to the others,” Drummond explains about a customer needing a single tire, “I had to search a little harder than normal and found a wholesaler that was willing to ship one to us. They’re going to drive around with their spare on for a week!”
Drummond is not the only one having some supply issues with tires. Several other shops in the Capital Region, like the Warren Tire in East Greenbush tell News10 they are having a difficult time as well finding supply.
