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Online Tire Sales Statistics 2026

May 5, 2026 Updated May 23, 2026 Search Tires Team

13% of US tire purchases are online, up from 12%. Top retailers, ship-to-installer rates, DTC trends, and 2033 forecast - all sourced from OpenBrand, MTD, Tire Business, and major e-commerce research.

Online Tire Sales Statistics 2026

Last updated: May 2026 · Reviewed annually

Online tire purchasing has been the fastest-growing channel in the U.S. tire retail market for a decade — yet brick-and-mortar still dominates total volume. Roughly 13% of U.S. tire purchases are now completed online, up from 12% the prior year, while 31%+ of buyers start their journey online. This page collects the most-cited U.S. online tire sales statistics from OpenBrand, Modern Tire Dealer, Tire Business, Consumer Reports, and major e-commerce research firms.

Key Findings

  • Roughly 13% of U.S. tire purchases were completed online in 2025, up from 12% the prior year. The remaining 77% happen in-store; 10% through other channels.
  • 31%+ of tire shoppers start their purchase journey online — more than double the conversion-to-online rate of 13%.
  • 65% of tire customers research online before buying, per consumer-survey data — even when the final transaction happens in-store.
  • Walmart leads online tire retailing with 8.9%+ market share in 2025, followed by Goodyear, SimpleTire, Tire Rack, and Priority Tire (combined top-5: ~14%).
  • Ship-to-installer fulfillment — where the buyer purchases online and the tires ship directly to a partner installer — is now the dominant online tire fulfillment model offered by every major online tire retailer.
  • Bundling tire purchase + installer-appointment booking in a single checkout flow is now standard at Tire Rack, SimpleTire, Discount Tire Direct, Priority Tire, and other major online tire retailers — significantly reducing the friction that historically slowed online adoption.
  • 57% of Consumer Reports members were completely satisfied with their tire installation in the most recent member survey.
  • 51% of auto-parts shoppers say search engines are their #1 research resource; 30% turn to retailer websites first.

Table of Contents

  1. Online Tire Sales Share of the U.S. Market
  2. Online vs Brick-and-Mortar (Channel Mix)
  3. Top Online Tire Retailers
  4. Consumer Research & Purchase Behavior
  5. Online Tire Market Growth & Forecasts
  6. Ship-to-Installer & Fulfillment Trends
  7. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) & Manufacturer Strategies
  8. What Slows Online Tire Adoption
  9. Frequently Asked Questions
  10. Methodology & Sources

Online Tire Sales Share of the U.S. Market

Tires lag most consumer-goods categories in e-commerce adoption because of their physical bulk, mandatory installation, and the regulatory + safety dimension of fitment. As a share of total U.S. tire purchases, online has grown steadily but slowly — adding roughly 1 percentage point per year.

  • ~13% of U.S. tire purchases were completed online in 2025, up from 12% in the prior year.
  • 31%+ of buyers start the purchase journey online, even though only 13% complete it digitally — a 2.5x gap between research and conversion.
  • Online tire conversion remains well below e-commerce averages for most consumer-goods categories, which run 15–25%+ of category sales.
  • In urban regions specifically, online share exceeds 30% of tire purchases — significantly above the national 13% — driven by denser installer networks and higher e-commerce comfort.
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Why the gap matters: roughly 1 in 5 U.S. tire shoppers researches online but ends up paying full retail in-store anyway. The savings opportunity is real, but it requires comparing drive-out prices — not just sticker prices.

Online vs Brick-and-Mortar (Channel Mix)

Brick-and-mortar still owns the U.S. tire market. The split has moved only modestly since 2020.

  • 77% of U.S. tire purchases happen in-store at brick-and-mortar tire dealers, chains, big-box, and warehouse-club locations.
  • 13% of U.S. tire purchases happen online with a direct-to-doorstep or ship-to-installer fulfillment model.
  • 10% of U.S. tire purchases happen through other channels — phone-in orders, catalog, OEM dealer service departments, and third-party fulfillment.
  • Walmart is the #1 tire retailer in the U.S. by unit share (15% of units sold) and leads online tire retailing at 8.9%+ market share.
  • Discount Tire leads U.S. tire retail by dollar share (16%) and also operates Discount Tire Direct, one of the largest online tire retailers.

Top Online Tire Retailers

The U.S. online tire retail market is fragmented but dominated by a small group: Walmart (online + in-store), Tire Rack, SimpleTire, Discount Tire Direct, Priority Tire, Amazon, and direct-to-consumer storefronts from major manufacturers.

  • Walmart leads online tire retailing with 8.9%+ market share in 2025.
  • Top 5 online tire retailers (Walmart, Goodyear, SimpleTire, Tire Rack, Priority Tire) collectively hold ~14% of the online tire market.
  • Tire Rack, founded in 1979, is widely regarded as the original online tire retailer and is now owned by Discount Tire.
  • Discount Tire Direct operates as the e-commerce arm of Discount Tire (the largest U.S. independent tire chain by store count, 1,100+ locations).
  • SimpleTire and Priority Tire have positioned as online-first DTC challengers with aggressive pricing and broad installer-network partnerships.
  • Amazon Auto offers tires for purchase (with installation partnerships) and competes primarily on price and Prime fulfillment speed.
  • Discount Tire / America's Tire generated $9.65 billion in 2024 sales — the largest tire retailer in North America by revenue, with both online and in-store contributing.

Consumer Research & Purchase Behavior

Tire buyers research extensively online before purchase, even when they ultimately walk into a store. This is the defining behavior of the modern tire customer.

  • 65% of tire customers research online before they buy.
  • 31%+ of tire buyers begin their journey online, but only 13% complete the purchase online — a 2.5x research-to-conversion gap.
  • 51% of auto-parts shoppers say search engines are their #1 research resource; 30% start at retailer websites; 19% rely on other channels.
  • Of Consumer Reports members who purchased tires recently, 57% were completely satisfied with their installation experience.
  • Among consumers who negotiated tire prices (a behavior common to online-research-then-shop-locally buyers), 63% got a better deal with median savings of $37 per tire.
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The full pricing breakdown — sticker vs drive-out, by-size pricing, installation fees — is in our Tire Price Statistics 2026 page.

Online Tire Market Growth & Forecasts

Online tire sales are forecast to grow 6-9% annually through 2033, roughly 2x the rate of the overall tire market. By 2033, multiple research firms project online share to reach 20-25% of total U.S. tire sales.

  • The global online tire market is forecast to grow from $39.5 billion in 2025 to $75.8 billion by 2033, a CAGR of 8.4%.
  • Most market-research firms forecast U.S. online tire share to rise from 13% in 2025 to ~20-25% by 2030–2033 — outpacing overall tire market CAGR (3-4%) by roughly 2x.
  • The automotive tires e-retailing market specifically is forecast to grow faster than the broader tire market through 2035, driven by mobile commerce and installer-network expansion.
  • Convenience, wider product selection, and price transparency are the three most-cited drivers of online tire share growth.

The dominant online tire fulfillment model is no longer ship-to-home — it's ship-to-installer. The buyer purchases online, selects a partner installer at checkout, and the tires arrive at the installer's shop pre-paid, ready for the appointment.

  • Ship-to-installer is now the default fulfillment model for major online tire retailers — Tire Rack alone has 10,000+ partner installers; Tires-Easy partners with national chains including Pep Boys and Monro; SimpleTire and Priority Tire operate similar networks.
  • Bundling tire purchase + installer appointment in a single checkout flow is now standard at Tire Rack, SimpleTire, Discount Tire Direct, and Priority Tire.
  • Major online retailers (Tire Rack, SimpleTire, Discount Tire Direct, Amazon) now operate installer networks of 10,000+ partner shops across the U.S.
  • Mobile installation services (tires installed at a customer's home or workplace) are an emerging segment but remain a small fraction of online tire fulfillment — concentrated in major metros.
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This is why online tire savings often don't materialize: a $20-30 per-tire price advantage at the online retailer can disappear after installer fees, valve stems, balancing, and disposal — unless you compare drive-out prices, not sticker prices.

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) & Manufacturer Strategies

Tire manufacturers — once exclusively dependent on wholesale distributor and independent-dealer channels — are investing heavily in direct-to-consumer e-commerce. The shift is reshaping the relationship between manufacturer, dealer, and consumer.

  • Major manufacturers (Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental) all operate DTC online storefronts in addition to their dealer networks; Goodyear ranks among the top-5 online tire retailers.
  • DTC platforms enable manufacturers to capture customer data, offer product education at scale, and integrate value-added services (mobile installation, subscription tires, fleet bundles) that pure wholesale can't.
  • The traditional in-store 'five steps to a tire sale' framework is becoming harder to execute as buyers arrive at the dealer pre-researched online — sometimes with a competitive quote in hand.
  • DTC channel growth puts price-transparency pressure on traditional dealers, who increasingly must justify their drive-out price (and value-added services) against online-quoted alternatives.

What Slows Online Tire Adoption

Despite a decade of e-commerce growth, online tire share remains below 15% nationally. The barriers are structural:

1. Mandatory Installation

Tires require professional mounting, balancing, valve stems, and TPMS reset — and the installer's labor, fees, and tax often add 20–50% to the online sticker price. The all-in cost gap between online and in-store narrows or disappears once installation is added.

2. Fitment Risk

Buying the wrong size, load rating, or speed rating is a real risk for self-serve online shoppers. In-store staff catch fitment errors before the sale; online buyers occasionally don't realize until the installer flags it.

3. Warranty & Road-Hazard Complexity

Manufacturer warranties typically require a dealer-authorized installation record. Road-hazard coverage and free rotation/balancing programs are usually bundled in-store and harder to claim on online-purchased tires.

4. Same-Day Need

A blowout or flat is a same-day problem. Online-shipped tires take 2-5 days, even with Prime-style fulfillment. Brick-and-mortar wins urgent purchases by definition.

5. Physical Inspection

Tires are a high-stakes safety purchase. Some buyers want to physically inspect the tread, sidewall, and date code (DOT week-and-year stamp) before paying $800–$1,500 for a set of four.

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Despite these headwinds, online share keeps growing roughly 1 pp per year. For the broader market context — total U.S. tire sales, revenue, manufacturer share — see our Tire Market Size & Revenue Statistics 2026 page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of tires are sold online in the US?
Approximately 13% of U.S. tire purchases were completed online in 2025, up from 12% the prior year, per industry e-commerce analysis. The remaining 77% happen in-store, and 10% through other channels. In urban regions, the online share can exceed 30% — significantly above the national average.
What are the top online tire retailers in 2026?
The top online tire retailers in the U.S. by market share are Walmart (8.9%+), Goodyear, SimpleTire, Tire Rack (owned by Discount Tire), and Priority Tire — collectively about 14% of the online market. Other major players include Discount Tire Direct and Amazon. Tire Rack, founded in 1979, is the original online tire retailer.
Why do most people still buy tires in stores?
Five structural reasons: tires require professional installation (which adds 20-50% to the sticker, narrowing the online savings); fitment errors are easier to catch in-store; warranty and road-hazard programs are usually bundled in-store; blowouts demand same-day solutions; and many buyers want to physically inspect tires before a $800-$1,500 purchase.
Do you save money buying tires online?
Often yes on the sticker — online retailers can run 10-20% below in-store quotes on the tire alone. But you typically add $20-$30 per tire in installer fees when delivered to a partner shop, plus disposal, valve stems, balancing, and tax. The only fair comparison is drive-out price (the all-in total). Even a 5-minute drive-out comparison commonly saves $80-$200 on a set of four.
What is ship-to-installer fulfillment?
It's the dominant online tire fulfillment model. You purchase tires online, select a partner installer at checkout, and the tires ship to that installer's shop pre-paid. You drive to the installer at the appointment time; they mount, balance, and install. This is now the default fulfillment model at every major online tire retailer.
Are online tire prices cheaper than Discount Tire or Costco?
Sometimes — on sticker. Online retailers often beat in-store quotes by 10-20% on the tire price alone. But Discount Tire, Costco, and other warehouse clubs frequently include lifetime free balancing, rotation, and road-hazard coverage at no extra cost. The drive-out price comparison after installation, fees, and tax is the only meaningful one.
Is the online tire market growing?
Yes — the global online tire market is projected to grow from $39.5 billion in 2025 to $75.8 billion by 2033, a CAGR of 8.4%. That's roughly 2x the growth rate of the overall tire market (3-4% CAGR). U.S. online tire share is forecast to reach 20-25% by 2030-2033, up from 13% today.

Continue exploring tire data:

Methodology & Sources

Data in this article was compiled from authoritative public sources between 2024 and 2026. Sources include government agencies, industry associations, publicly traded company financial filings, and recognized market research firms. Revenue figures are reported in current-year USD unless otherwise noted. We update annually; if you find a stat that has changed, please reach out.

Online Tire Sales Share of the U.S. Market

Online vs Brick-and-Mortar (Channel Mix)

Top Online Tire Retailers

Consumer Research & Purchase Behavior

Online Tire Market Growth & Forecasts

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) & Manufacturer Strategies

Don't pay the online-shopper trap price. Search your tire size or vehicle on SearchTires to compare drive-out prices at shops near you — including online retailers' ship-to-install totals — so the cheapest sticker actually wins the cheapest checkout.

© 2026 SearchTires.com. This page may be cited with attribution. If you use our data in a publication, please link back to https://searchtires.com/blog/online-tire-sales-statistics-2026.

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