MANCHESTER, NH (BRAIN)—The Bike Cooperative has entered into a strategic partnership with Shopatron, Inc., a collaboration designed to expand online sales opportunities for the cooperative’s member retailers and supplier partners, while driving more of the cycling industry to Shopatron’s successful e-commerce platform.
Cooperative retailers will now begin earning rebates on all Shopatron transactions. As part of the agreement, the cooperative’s network of preferred suppliers will receive a discount when setting up e-commerce store fronts through Shopatron.
Shopatron is the leading provider of global eCommerce solutions for consumer goods manufacturers, allowing its brands to engage consumers from shopping through order fulfillment. Orders placed on Shopatron merchant Web sites are filled by a managed, distributed network of fulfillment partners, typically local retailers. Shopatron has a proven track record in the cycling market, with over 25 cycling brands deployed on their platform. These brands partner with over 2,500 cycling and sporting goods retailers who participate in the Shopatron network to fulfill orders.
“Online retail is the fastest growing sales channel in the cycling industry,” said Greg Brodsky, managing director of The Bike Cooperative. “We know it’s a sensitive topic of conversation for many in this business, especially bike brands. But eCommerce is going to be the driver of future growth for both manufacturers and retailers. Rather than try to fight the inevitable reality, we feel it’s in the best interests of our member retailers, supplier partners and the industry to embrace eCommerce. With Shopatron’s model, brands can capture sales without competing with their retailers, by sending completed transactions to the bike shops for fulfillment. Because the store gets paid directly for the sale, it’s a win-win for both sides. We anticipate the same will hold true for our partnership with Shopatron.”
Shopatron provides in-store pickup, including a ship-to-store model, which makes eCommerce possible for bike brands. “Local fulfillment speeds delivery, motivates fulfillment partners to stock more inventory, and facilitates in-store pickup, a convenience valued by a majority of online shoppers,” said Shopatron founder and CEO Ed Stevens. “Our ship-to-store model sends more paying customers into local bike shops, rather than pushing those sales out of their stores. This online sales model is good for the brand, good for the retailer and good for the customer, as they benefit from working with knowledgeable local bike retailers.”
Shopatron senior vice president of marketing Mark Grondin added, “We have established relationships with a number of The Bike Cooperative’s retailers and supplier partners over the years. We are excited about the opportunity to provide more of their partners with an eCommerce solution that is good for the whole cycling industry. Prosperous retailers are good for cycling brands, because they bring more customers into the market. Not many people discover cycling on the web.”
