BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Accell Group has announced an increase in its minority stake of Beeline Bikes to 100 per cent.
Beeline Bikes is a mobile bike service company based on a franchise concept that delivers a “turn-key sales, service and data collection solution tailored for independent bicycle dealers in North America.” Accell, which operates the Raleigh brand in the UK, has already earmarked the concept of bringing the service to Europe in the near future.
Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Accell Group will focus on rapidly growing the Beeline Bikes footprint in North America, which will support existing and future franchise partners. Beeline Bikes will have direct access to the brands and resources of Accell Group’s North American business as it grows its franchise network in the coming years.
CEO of Accell Group Ton Anbeek commented “To win locally in the North American market our strategy will focus on the needs and wishes of consumers through a true omni-channel approach. We want to empower IBD’s to serve cyclists the way they research and buy today – across multiple channels. We have been partnering with Beeline Bikes for quite a while and have found that their mobile model and technology platform offer highly attractive synergies with the traditional brick and mortar channels.
“Beeline Bikes enables us to offer expansion to our IBD partners; it brings convenience, high-touch service, and an experiential and data-driven solution that rapidly expands our consumer reach while bolstering value to our growing franchise network in North America. This acquisition is a clear case of 1+1=3.”
