When new tires can't wait, confidence at checkout matters. July 29, 2026 Discount Tire and Tire Rack partnered with Affirm to help customers replace tires with confidence, driving approximately 3x higher conversion and 21% higher average order values on TireRack.com, and 24% year-over-year payment volume growth at Discount Tire Few purchases are as unexpected, or as essential, as new tires. A warning light before a long drive. A puncture that can't be repaired. A failed inspection. Suddenly, what started as an ordinary day becomes a purchase that can easily exceed $1,000. For most drivers, the moment isn't really about whether they can afford new tires. It's about figuring out the smartest way to handle an unexpected expense alongside everything else they have planned. That's the moment Discount Tire and Tire Rack designed for when they partnered with Affirm. "For the everyday driver, tires are often an unexpected purchase they didn't account for," said Steve Fournier Jr., SVP of Omnichannel Operations at Discount Tire. "Providing flexible payment options, like Affirm, is one of the ways we are continuing to invest in making it more hassle free for our customers to get tires when and where they need them." To give customers a clearer path forward, Discount Tire and Tire Rack integrated Affirm across their online and buy online, pick up in store experiences, offering a more predictable way to pay over time for tires, wheels, parts like windshield wipers and accessories, and even installation. Affirm evaluates each purchase before approval, and consumers never pay a penny more than they agree to upfront with no late fees, no hidden fees, and no compounding interest. Customers see the full cost upfront and know exactly when they'll be done. "What sold Tire Rack on Affirm was the transparency and ease of use," said Woody Rogers, SVP of Marketing and Product Information at Tire Rack. "Our customers are practical people in that they want to know exactly what they'll pay and when, with no surprises. Adding a buy now pay later option for tires, and our full breadth of products gave us a financing path that actually matches how an increasing share of our customers think about large automotive expenses." Since partnering with Affirm, checkout conversion among TireRack.com shoppers who choose Affirm has been approximately three times higher than the site average. Those shoppers also spend more, with average order values approximately 21% higher than the site average. At DiscountTire.com, Affirm is now the most popular payment method after traditional credit cards, and payment volume through Affirm has grown approximately 24% year over year. Those results matter because tires rarely wait for a convenient moment. Faced with a major, unplanned expense, plenty of drivers choose Affirm. Not because they have to, but because splitting the cost into clear, predictable payments is simply a smart move. They see exactly what they owe at checkout, exactly when they'll be done, and nothing compounds in the background while they're not looking. Buying tires often isn't optional. But how you pay for it is. And for a growing number of drivers, that choice is Affirm, combined with Discount Tire's brick and mortar convenience and Tire Rack's national reach. Affirm is subject to eligibility. See lending terms at affirm.com/disclosures Methodology: Metrics are based on Affirm internal reporting and partner-provided data. Conversion and average order value metrics reflect Tire Rack performance during the applicable measurement period. Payment volume growth reflects year-over-year results for Discount Tire comparing July 1, 2024-July 1, 2025 with July 1, 2025-July 1, 2026.

New hotel nears opening in Keizer. Construction workers are putting the final touches on Keizer's third hotel as it prepares to open. The Fairfield Inn by Marriott is part of development occurring near Keizer Station, on land southwest of the Chemawa freeway interchange that is adjacent to the Chick-Fil-A. Near the hotel are two new buildings intended to house retail such as restaurants and nail services. The land is jointly owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians. The tribes formed Chemawa Station LLC in 2003 to develop the land, and the hotel and two buildings are included in the second phase of development. The first phase involved the development of buildings that now house the 7-11 store along Ulali Drive, which leased the space in 2020, and the neighboring Chick-fil-A, which opened in August 2022. The four-story, 92-room hotel is planned to open near the end of July. Manager Gary Perston said the opening is pending final inspection and approval from Marriott. In mid July, Project Superintendent Bob Ballantyne said workers were completing final touch-ups on the building, such as fixing loose wall sockets. The hotel offers amenities including a pool and hot tub, a workout room, a breakfast bar and a small market selling food. Perston estimated rooms will average $165 per night, but the price could climb as high as $200 depending on the room, season, and availability. From the outside of the building, the blinds covering room windows display tree branches with green leaves. Once in the lobby, visitors see nature images along the walls and cozy chairs near a fireplace that uses steam and the sounds of crackling fire to imitate flames. Beyond rows of tables where people can sit and eat, the hotel features a patio with two fire pits. Bend real estate developers Damon Kluck and Scott Knox developed the hotel. Their company, Cascade Empire Lodging, opened a Fairfield Inn in Medford in 2021. In the fall, Knox told Keizertimes that another hotel in Keizer was "long overdue" based on studies demonstrating strong need. He said the hotel would benefit from the growing number of sporting events, and the hotel would draw travelers along Interstate 5 and those visiting friends and family in Keizer. "Hopefully it draws a lot of attention to Keizer," Perston said. "And hopefully we stay busy." Keizer's first hotel, the Wittenberg Inn, now a Best Western Premier, opened in roughly 1997. The Holiday Inn Express in Keizer Station was built in 2018. Construction on the two retail buildings near the new hotel is largely complete, with retail spaces prepared for modifications from tenants. Kelsi Sands and Alex Rhoten, representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, said they expect the buildings to house seven tenants. They said the tribes are negotiating leases for a restaurant, bakery and nail salon. A new Discount Tire is planned for the area as well, on the corner of Ulali Drive and the road leading to the hotel. While the store was expected to open at the end of 2026, construction for the building was pushed to mid-2027. A representative of the company didn't respond to an email seeking details. SUBSCRIBE: Don't miss any of the news of Keizer, produced by your professional local reporters. An online subscription is $10 a month, and takes just a moment when you go HERE.