The big, bad internet AKA
Online direct sales
Consumers now demand more flexibility
from their retailers and brands, with
Australia Post reckoning that by 2020, 1 in 10
items in Australia will be bought online. The
biggest uptake has come from categories
such as fashion and grocery sales, but while
outdoor and sporting goods including bikes
lag behind there’s still a growing trend via
online channels.
As with any major shift in the
marketplace, there is undoubtedly a
debate about whether the move to online
is a net-positive or net-negative for the
industry as a whole. On one side of this
debate, you have the bricks and mortar
stores whose livelihood depends on a
steady stream of sales and the other side,
the at-times-infamous discount online
warehouse.
Either of these have benefits for
the consumer. At the risk of grossly
oversimplifying, the physical store can offer
a more personal service and the online
can offer better prices. In terms of offering
that tactile experience of seeing, testing
and riding a bike, while a physical store
gives you that opportunity, some online
retailers offer programs such as organised
demo rides and in-store experiences
through a select dealer network. Plus, if
the brands can offer a lower price point
and get more bikes out there to us willing
consumers, that’s only a good thing, right?Local connections
Within Australia, Intense is distributed by
Intense Cycles Australia, from their warehouse
in Western Sydney, NSW.
They tell me that they can deliver any bike
from their range from XC race machines
through to Enduro and Downhill sleds and
E-bikes from their warehouse to most places
quite quickly with their courier of choice,
Startrack.
How quick? To most of the East Coast, 2-3
days is normal, Sydney is a bit faster, and
they’ve typically delivered to Western Australia
in just under a week’s time.
After-sales support is handled by the team
at the distributor, with a network of service
agents around the country that can also assist
in the process where needed. Customisation“Consumers now demand more flexibility from their retailers and brands, with
Australia Post reckoning that by 2020, 1 in 10 items in Australia will be bought online.”
BUYING ONLINE