Photo: Bob Schneider

By Darren Rathwell

Winter tire shortage concerns in Medicine Hat

Oct 21, 2021 | 5:38 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A global shortage of winter tires is reaching Medicine Hat and area.

Three local tire operations, including Kirk’s Tire, told CHAT News the worldwide lack of supply is impacting their businesses.

Kirk’s, which operates in Redcliff, says they purchased about 1,400 tires in August after a shortage of all season tires began, and about half of those tires have already been sold to their customers.

“Once snow flies it’s going to be chaos we’ll be running out of a lot of things,” Kirk’s Tires’ Michelle Bene said.

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She also says prices from the manufacturer have recently increased.

“(They’ve) gone up anywhere from $20 a tire up to maybe $100 a tire. It just varies on what you’re doing right, what size (of tire you have).”

Factors in the drop-off of winter tires are said to be the global shipping container shortage, disruptions from the pandemic within the rubber sector, and rising demand in China.