MURRIETA, Calif. (BRAIN) — Turner Bicycles has begun selling factory-direct to consumers in areas of North America where there is no authorized Turner dealer, the company said Thursday.
"A recent survey of consumer habits over the holiday shopping period revealed that consumers are more likely than ever to do their own research and make their purchases manufacturer direct," Turner Bicycles stated in a release.
"As consumers' habits evolve, we are adapting our business model to accommodate those shifting behaviors. With a product as complex as a mountain bike, some riders will still benefit from the support of their local Turner authorized dealer. For the many riders not served by a local Turner dealer, they can go directly to the source and buy from the maker."
The move was necessary, founder David Turner told BRAIN on Thursday, because too many dealers have cherry-picked the line or haven't committed deeply enough to the brand.
"We've basically done this because we have to. If we could sell a much larger number to dealers that would be fine — like the old days," he said.
Turner noted that the company has been selling direct to consumers in unprotected territories the past several months. "We've been doing this and getting a feel for it. We've hired someone new to help handle it. Where we do have dealers, we have a one-hour or 50-mile radius" where territories are protected, he said.
"We still sell to dealers in authorized territories. Some of our dealers are going on 15-plus years, and we want to stand by the shops that have continued to support us," Turner added.
