Goodyear-owned Beaurepaires closing stores after sale hopes fall through

Iconic Australian-born tyre business Beaurepaires appears destined to fold with 100 stores already closing, following a failed attempt to sell the business.

One of Australia’s longest-standing and largest tyre retailers, Beaurepaires, operating since 1922, could soon become history, with 700 jobs and 100 stores currently on the firing line.

Goodyear Dunlop Tyres Australia, the current owner of Beaurepaires, announced a plan in September 2023 to “improve profitability in its Australia and New Zealand operations”.

The plan aimed to move to a “third-party distribution and retail sales model instead of a company-owned approach”, resulting in the termination of 700 jobs, nine warehouse location losses, and the sale of roughly 100 Beaurepaires retail and fleet stores – expected to be completed before the end of 2024.

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It is rumoured that the remaining 140 Beaurepaires outlets will be closed by April 2024. Thus far, this has been denied by Goodyear Dunlop Tyres Australia.

According to News.com.au, an anonymous source [↗] has said that rival tyre retailer Bob Jane Corporation was “offered to buy out all the [Beaurepaires] stores… they have chosen the select few that actually make money”. A number of Beaurepaires outlets have also been rebranded as Goodyear Autocare stores.

Speaking with News, Lauren Voucatos, HR transformation and communications lead for Goodyear Dunlop Tyres Australia, said no final decisions have been made yet.

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As part of the plan, it was revealed in September 2023 that TyreMax will become the exclusive distributor of Goodyear tyres in Australia and NZ, with National Tyre and Wheel carrying Dunlop-branded tyres.

The “local transformation plan” is expected to cost $84-99 million before tax, with the ultimate income expected to increase by $76-84 million per year, from 2025 into the future.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union is yet to be consulted with this plan.