News: Cycleurope Takes On Online Sales

Post by **sandranian** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 8:23 am

Cycleurope Takes On Online Sales

source: http://www.bike-eu.com/Home/General/201 ... ne%20Sales

MACHECOUL, France ? Following up on our report on the company?s search for a partner for its Machecoul plant, Cycleurope AB CEO Tony Grimaldi took several other initiatives to save the French bicycle factory.

Last October Cycleurope acquired the French Q-Bikes brand and reintroduced it at Roc d?Azur mid-October as their new brand to be sold exclusively through internet.

Searching for orders

Cycleurope started this project in their search for more orders to feed their production lines in the Machecoul factory. This facility is specialized in manufacturing bicycles for hypermarkets. Cycleurope was faced with a strong decline in sales at their key accounts in the mass markets channels.

?We are trying to start selling bicycles online?, says Cycleurope product manager Matthew Huet. ?To be successful we had the choice between sacrificing one of our retail brands or to buy an existing bicycle brand and launch it on the internet. It was easy to make a choice when we learned about the possibility to buy Q-Bikes which enjoys a good reputation among the public. The damage for Cycleurope will be limited should this adventure ends with a failure.?

Market position

?Online Q-Bikes sale starts next January with a trendy range covering all product categories. Q-Bikes.com is a generalist brand and will be positioned slightly lower than Canyon. Consumer prices for MTB and road race bikes will range between ? 299 up to ? 3,000. Our main target group is the mass market and within three years we target to sell 10,000 bikes.?

Some 400 Velo & Oxygen bike shops depend on Cycleurope as the company and owner that runs this retail format. Are they happy with the move of their retail partner as Cycleurope will be in direct competition with them? ?There won?t change a lot for them while the quality of the bicycles produced at Machecoul will only increase?, said Cycleurope CEO Jerome Valentin. ?We already used to supply a lot of bikes outside the IBD retail channel.?

by Isabelle Leboeuf 6 Nov 2012

henn9438 · Post by **henn9438** » Wed Dec 25, 2013 11:05 pm

This may be a crazy question, but does anyone know how to purchase a new Gitane?

Frenchbuilt · Post by **Frenchbuilt** » Thu Dec 26, 2013 8:55 am

Might have to come to france for that.