KOBLENZ, Germany (BRAIN)— Germany’s Canyon Bicycles will bring its consumer direct model to the U.S. with product showing up potentially as early as 2013, the company’s Stefan Gabler said. Canyon hired Gabler about six months ago as project manager for the U.S.
“Currently Canyon Bicycles is working to establish entities of customer service, sales and after sales support, technical service and replacement parts in North America,” the company said in statement released during the Eurobike trade show. Canyon will make a definitive announcement by the first quarter of 2013 as the further availability of bikes in the U.S., and intends to make a slow, calculated entrance into the market.
“We are confident that our race proven bicycles appeal to many bike enthusiasts in North America, however, we want to make sure to be well prepared before entering this market,” the statement said.
Gabler said Canyon is looking into the best approach for the U.S.—whether that’s working through an existing online retailer for warehousing, customer service and logistics, or setting up its own offices. It’s also considering what models are best suited for the U.S. In Europe, Canyon sells about 60 percent mountain and 40 percent road, and reported about 45 million euro in turnover last year.
Canyon was started by former racer Roman Arnold in 1985 as a house brand for his Radsport Arnold retail and wholesale business.
The company has one test center in Holland and a large showroom at its headquarters in Koblenz, Germany, but sells nearly all its bikes through the www.canyon.com site. German-engineered frames are produced in Taiwan and bikes are assembled as stock in Koblenz.
The brand is popular particularly in Europe’s German spoken countries. Demand from North America picked up about three years ago when Cadel Evans, then racing for Omega Pharma-Lotto, won the world championship on a Canyon bike.
—Nicole Formosa
nformosa@bicycleretailer.com
