THUNDER BAY, Ontario (BRAIN) — ShipEarly, which contracts with bike brands to provide assembly at independent bike dealers, is now looking to sign up more IBDs. The company said it already has 700 shops signed up and works with multiple brands.
The program recruits IBDs to fulfill bike orders made through manufacturer websites for store pickup or delivery. The platform includes the ability to schedule pickups and deliveries to keep dealer schedules organized, a platform to track orders, shipments, and payouts, as well as automated emails sent to consumers.
Nick Kolobutin, the CEO and founder of ShipEarly, said, "We firmly believe the future of retail continues to revolve around the brick and mortar dealer and have felt this way since inception. What is changing is the way in which consumers want to interact and buy. Consumers are seeking the convenience of online with the service of a dealer they can trust to boost consumer confidence during checkout. That trust extends to post-purchase as consumers want to know they will be supported after the initial sale. By working together, we aim to help IBDs get new customers into their shop where 50 percent of the time additional purchases are made and help grow the cycling culture by making it easier to buy a bike with incredible service."
Kolobutin told BRAIN that ShipEarly works with several well known brands, most of whom prefer not to be named. Espin Bikes, a San Francisco-based e-bike company, is one of the brands using the service. Espin's CEO. Josh Lam, said, "We've got incredibly stylish and high quality bikes consumers want. What we lack is distribution. We recognize that to grow our business we need to partner closer with IBDs beyond just transactions. With ShipEarly, we aim to get more of our bikes in front of IBDs so dealers can see first hand our quality and get to know us as a brand."
More information at shipearly.com/demo or sign up at shipearlyapp.com/signup/Retailer.
