VANCOUVER, British Columbia (BRAIN) — Norco Bicycles has joined the ever-popular click-and-collect revolution.
Initially started in Canada, Norco now offers American consumers the option of buying a bike through its website and having it shipped to one of its IBDs and professionally built, all for no additional cost to the buyer.
"Following our Canadian B2C e-commerce launch in March, we’re seeing remarkable consumer and dealer satisfaction, with Canadian dealers successfully fulfilling online orders all across the country," said John Williams, president of Norco Bicycles, in a news release. "Canadian Norco dealers are already seeing the positives of gaining new customers, margin share and walk-in traffic they would not have had previous to launch, and we are positive that USA dealers will follow suit."
A Norco spokesperson told BRAIN the company examined other click-and-collect programs to devise its own. In order for retailers to benefit from online sales, Norco deposits margin dollars directly into their bank account as cash, not credit.
Bikes are shipped from the Norco warehouse to the dealer to fulfill the order.
Norco allows retailers to rely on their return policies and manage returned inventory any way they choose. In order to guide the online consumer through the shopping process, Norco offers LiveChat on its website and Facebook page. It provides a bike-sizing chart on each product page and a tool to compare model spec's head-to-head.
Declining to cite specific numbers, the spokesperson said, "We're seeing great results and on track to achieve our goals."
Several mountain bike models currently are sold out on the website, but Norco said it will receive more in-season inventory shortly. For e-commerce consumers looking for an unavailable models, Norco recommends contacting the nearest dealer through its website.
