This week, an interesting new partnership sprung into existence between Amazon and Sears. Besides the inherent irony of Sears partnering with the company that’s arguably been the biggest factor in the retail chain’s fall from grace, what’s really interesting about this deal is that it could change the way consumers shop for their auto care needs. As CNBC reports, Amazon shoppers can now order any brand tire on the site and have it installed at Sears locations.
According to Sears spokesperson, the way this new partnership will work is that customers can first select the tires they want from Amazon. Then, as part of the checkout process, users can choose to have the tires shipped to a nearby Sears Auto location and schedule an appointment. Naturally, Sears will charge a standard fee for installing the tires and for any other services requested. It’s also worth noting that, while the partnership will bring Sears’ DieHard brand of tires to the site, this installation offer is valid for any brand.
As someone who recently needed to purchase a new tire (that’s a story for another day), this sounds like a pretty awesome arrangement. While most tire shops may only have one or two tire options that fit your vehicle in stock at any given time, shopping on Amazon will likely allow consumers to find better deals. Furthermore, while one could likely have always purchased tires online and brought them into a local shop for installation, the integration here means you won’t have to personally lug the big hunks of rubber into the shop yourself, which seems like a big win to me.
Although Sears has struggled for many years and its continued existence is touch and go, this partnership with Amazon is the latest in a series of creative and forward-thinking partnerships from the chain in recent months. Among said partnerships is the chain’s deal with ride-sharing app Uber as well as their integration with Pay with GasBuddy (which I reviewed earlier this week) that enables drivers to earn Shop Your Way points for each gallon they pump. So not only am I intrigued by this Amazon tire installation offer Sears has unveiled, but I also look forward to seeing what else the legacy retailers has up its sleeve.