KENT, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a dynamic and changing retail landscape, one global bike company is fueling growth through a mission to revolutionize the experience of purchasing a bicycle.
Accell Group, N.V. (AG), the global leader in ebikes, and the parent company of Accell North America (ANA), announces the acquisition of Beeline Bikes, the largest mobile bike service franchise in the United States. The investment in Beeline Bikes solidifies ANA’s position as the world’s most consumer-centric bicycle company by transforming the experience of buying a bike in partnership with Independent Bicycle Dealers (IBD’s).
“Beeline Bikes is integral to the success of ANA’s recently-launched Consumer-Centric Omnichannel Strategy, and is critical to supporting the evolution of Independent Bicycle Dealers (IBD’s) as they remodel their businesses to serve today’s connected bicycle consumer while growing their market presence,” said John Short, CEO of Accell North America.
Far more than a mobile bike shop and repair fleet, Beeline offers a robust technology platform that streamlines consumer interaction, enhances operator efficiency and automates the connection to a growing network of online bike sellers and e-retailers driving new customer acquisition to its IBD franchise partners.
“We launched Beeline five years ago to address the huge opportunity in the market to provide a friendly, professional and convenient service experience to all types of cyclists. We deliver the remarkable experience demanded by today’s connected bicycle consumers,” said Pete Buhl, co-founder and CEO of Beeline Bikes and tech-industry veteran. “ANA shares our vision and is stepping up to enable us to grow rapidly. We couldn’t be more excited about the future of Beeline.”
ANA will invest in Beeline’s ability to innovate through its technology platform, enabling IBD’s to modernize and serve today’s channel-hopping consumer. Shops can now acquire new customers by leveraging direct-to-consumer sales, and innovative last mile service and support.
“ANA understands that the most important metric for today’s retailer is no longer turns per square foot, but instead new customer acquisition and lifetime customer value,” Short said. “Those success metrics are met when the value equation of a bicycle retailer is about connection, community, convenience, high-touch service – an overall exceptional experience based on what the consumer demands. That’s what Beeline Bike delivers to the experience of buying a bike.”
Beeline franchisees will now have direct access to the brands and resources of ANA as it grows its franchise network. The company will invest in adding new fulfillment partners to Beeline, enabling IBD partners to fulfill other (non-ANA) brands, starting this spring. The company plans to expand the footprint of Beeline Bikes franchisees in the next 18 months to key metropolitan areas and regions.
AG is the largest bicycle company in Europe, and is a publicly listed corporation with $1.3 billion in annual revenue. AG distributes Diamondback, Haibike, iZip, Raleigh and Redline bicycles globally, and in North America through ANA. The Jan. 19, 2018 announcement of ANA’s new company strategy can be read here.
ABOUT ACCELL NORTH AMERICA (ANA):
ANA is the North American arm of the Accell Group, the leading bicycle company in Europe, and the global leader in ebike. The Accell Group is one of the most stable, largest bicycle companies in the world, and is the parent company of Raleigh Bicycles, and the Raleigh Electric bicycles, iZip and Haibike ebike brands, as well as Diamondback and Redline bicycles. ANA is also the largest investor in Beeline, a mobile channel franchise opportunity that also offers IBD’s a powerful tech platform, yielding very strong data that will continue to strengthen ANA’s new omnichannel program.
ABOUT BEELINE BIKES:
Beeline Bikes, founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013, has serviced thousands of customers at their homes, offices or location of their choosing. Reinventing how people interact with bike shops, the largest mobile bike service franchise in the country has developed a technology platform to streamline customer interaction, enhance operator efficiency and automate the supply chain. Beeline's full-service approach enables franchise owners and operators to profitably and efficiently run their own Beeline fleet of mobile bike shops in their local community. Beeline Bikes is currently offering franchise opportunities in all 50 states. For more information about Beeline Bikes, or to schedule an appointment online, please visit BeelineBikes.com or call 855-58-BIKES.
