Goodyear

Shopping for tires has never been a pleasant experience. You wander around endless piles of rubber to find what you hope is the right pair.

Goodyear is attempting to change our view of how we change our tires. The tire giant's 750 company-owned automotive service centers and "Just Tires" outlets have begun a radical overhaul designed to appeal to women, who comprise about 60 percent of their customer base. Goodyear's hopes that in appealing to women, they'll better serve their core male customers as well.

In 2004, Goodyear began extensive research on the tire-buying experience of men and women. The results showed that information on the products was incomprehensible or not available and prices weren't even listed.

Given the above, better displays were the first change made. The tire stacks were replaced with wall-mounted displays segmented by vehicle type, with simple price and feature information so consumers could make comparisons between models. The showroom got a fresh coat of paint to make it look less like a garage and more like a retailer. Additionally, since women often like to take home information, pamphlets were added.

The new design, now in 17 locations across the U.S. and is scheduled to hit every company-owned automotive center by October. The true test will come later this year, when dealers decide whether or not to roll out the changes made initially to the company-owned tire centers.