News

BOULDER, CO (BRAIN)—The outdoor product business outpaced the overall retail market by a wide margin, posting a 4.5 percent sales increase to $774.3 million for the five‐week fiscal month of March ending April 2.

PORTSMOUTH, UK (BRAIN)—Wiggle.co.uk, a UK online bike retailer, has launched its own Facebook Store, featuring hundreds of Wiggle's most popular products.

Birthdays are dangerous for impulse buyers. My most recent one found me shivering in the alcove entryway at Elliott Bay Bicycles in downtown Seattle, waiting for them to open. A bitter February wind was blowing in off the Sound. An empty sixteen ounce malt liquor can rattled around at my feet. When Bob Freeman rode up on his classic Schwinn Paramount to open the store, he seemed surprised to see me huddled there by the front door. “It’s not mine,” I said when he glanced down at the empty can. “I haven’t had a drink in over a year,” I continued, sounding exactly like the kind of righteous jerk I was afraid of becoming when I quit. “Stumbling around in a hopeless fog of sobriety is no picnic,” I added, hoping to lighten the mood, as he unlocked the door.

MONTEREY, CA (BRAIN)—In addition to announcing its annual Editors’ Choice Awards at Sea Otter, Bicycling Magazine unveiled a new logo and a fresh look for the magazine there.

IRVINE, CA (BRAIN)—Felt Bicycles has launched a new business-to-business website. The new site will give Felt dealers and sales reps access to inventory, allow dealers to place orders online, enable dealers to view account information, and streamline the entire account management process.

MONTEREY, CA (BRAIN)—The Bicycle Product Suppliers Association elected a new president and welcomed two new members to its board of directors at its annual board meeting last week during the Bicycle Leadership Conference.