Blackcircles
Blackcircles.com is a United Kingdom online tyre retailer.
It was founded by the Liverpool-born entrepreneur Mike Welch OBE in 2002 and sells to around 100,000 customers in the UK – making it one of the largest online tyre retailers in the country.[1]
Customers book and pay for their tyres online before having them fitted at one of their network of 1,900+ fitting centres.[2] Blackcircles has a unique relationship with Tesco, allowing customers to receive up to 3x Clubcard points when buying tyres through them.[3] The company has offices in the Scottish Border town of Peebles and the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. Blackcircles franchises were launched in 2006, allowing independent garages to sign up to its stock-checking and ordering system.
The company's website was created by Welch in August 2007, which allows members of the public to ask fully qualified mechanics for free advice about motoring problems.
In May 2015 tyre manufacturer Michelin purchased the company for £50 million. Michelin, which boasts 112,300 employees and operates 68 production plants in 17 countries, will also link Blackcircles with its popular distributor ATS Euromaster.[4]
In January 2016, CEO & founder Mike Welch was appointed an OBE in the Queen's New Year's honours list. The award was in recognition to his services to business and voluntary services for adoption & fostering. Welch’s charitable activities centre on the myadoptedfamily.com / The Welch Trust website, which aims to create positive disruption in the highly bureaucratic adoption sector.[5]
Notes
- ↑ Digital Marketing Intelligence Solutions - Hitwise
- ↑ "Book Tyre Fitting at 1,500 Local Garages | Blackcircles.com". www.blackcircles.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- ↑ "Tyre Deals & Offers | Blackcircles.com". www.blackcircles.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- ↑ "Michelin buys British online tyre firm Blackcircles for £50m". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- ↑ "Blackcircles founder Mike Welch receives OBE". Tyrepress. Retrieved 2016-02-01.