COLOGNE, Germany (BRAIN)—Germany’s largest retailer co-op is putting on an unprecedented expo of its own this month, showcasing its house brands and getting a head start not only on the big fall trade expositions but on mainline brands’ dealer shows.
ZEG (Zweirad Experten Gruppe) has invited its nearly 1,000 dealer members to an exposition at its Cologne, Germany, headquarters for a three-day, August 15-17 show.
The group’s pre-emptive move does not worry organizers at IFMA, where ZEG has again booked a huge exhibit space and where its members will still be a big part of the dealer contingent, said Karsten Deicke, IFMA press officer.
“The ZEG own-show has no adverse effects on IFMA. ZEG has registered for IFMA Cologne 2008 in the same size they did the years before,” Deicke said.
“Third-party order suppliers will not attend this in-house exhibition, which for ZEG is an extension to IFMA. Beyond ZEG dealers, IFMA attracts a lot of trade visitors: 80 percent of the trade visitors are not organized dealers,” he added.
Co-op members will still need to see the much wider array of bike and bike-related products from IFMA’s hundreds of other exhibitors, he said.
ZEG, which did not respond to requests for details, is apparently showing only its own house and specialty brands, such as its Bulls and Pegasus bike lines.
The co-op’s first-ever home show seems aimed at snagging early orders for its private label collection. It reverses ZEG’s past practice of taking orders for its house brands after the big trade shows and mainline brands’ house fairs had taken place, according to European observers.
Its website lists about 100 bicycle and bike-related brands as suppliers, and claims an inventory of 41,000 bicycles.
ZEG is a bicycle, scooter and home fitness equipment buying and marketing cooperative with 960 dealer members. Most are in Germany, but the group also has members in Austria, Belgium, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
—John Crenshaw
