Australian tyre giant Beaurepaires facing closure after owner Goodyear fails to find buyer

Australian tyre retailer Beaurepaires is reportedly on the brink of shutting up shop after the now US-owned business failed to find a new buyer, putting more than 700 local jobs at risk.

News.com.au reports word from an insider close to Beaurepaires that Goodyear Dunlop Tyres Australia – the brand’s current owner, which itself is a subsidiary of US giant Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company – attempted to sell its circa-100 outlets to the rival Bob Jane Corporation.

However, it’s understood negotiations between the two tyre giants didn’t result in a sale, leaving the future of the approximately 700 Australian jobs and the longest-running tyre retailer in the country hanging in the balance.

The publication reports certain Beaurepaires locations have been rebranded as Goodyear Autocare or Dunlop Super Dealer, though this is not expected to save every warehouse, retail outlet and franchise in Australia.

In September 2023, Goodyear told the US stock market it aimed to “improve profitability in its Australia and New Zealand operations” by transitioning to a “third-party distribution and retail sales model instead of a company-owned approach”, which it plans to do by the end of 2024.

Wholesaler TyreMax has been named as the exclusive distributor of Goodyear-branded tyres in Australia, while National Tyre and Wheel will become Dunlop’s distributor.

Goodyear is responsible for the production and distribution of Dunlop passenger car and light commercial tyres in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Europe.

In 2022, Australian motorsport publication Auto Action reported Goodyear had intended for Dunlop’s motorsport tyres – such as those used in the Supercars Championship – to be rebranded with its own name, however production constraints made this unfeasible at the time.