BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Tandem Group plc, owner of the Claud Butler marque, has signed a one year agreement with the freshly MBOed Motor World. The agreement is subject to “quality” and “sales performance” targets set by Motor World Ltd.
Fifty of Motor World’s larger stores will stock the brand but it will also be available on special order from the remaining 150 high street branches.
Those stores to get CBR product have had special staff training sessions to raise customer service levels.
Motor World is currently revamping its stores (see related article below) with a town by town roll-out of in-store makeovers. Exterior fascias are changing to the new, brighter corporate logo.
Ray Teague, Motor World’s bike buyer, is chuffed to land CBR:
“Claud Butler Racing bikes are extremely high quality. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers such a leading ‘niche’ market brand.
“Already strongly endorsed by leading cycle magazines such as ‘What Mountain Bike?’ and ‘MBUK’, we are confident that the solid handling and brilliant value of the Claud Butler range will undoubtedly be a winning combination for consumers.”
Joe Mogg of Claud Butler/Falcon is on holiday until 10th September so was unavailable for comment.
Motor World currently stock Concept bikes for the £100-200 market; Viking bikes (also from Concept) for the £199 to £350 slot and have brought in CBR for the overlapping £199-399 segment. Teague calls it the “boy racer” segment.
Some stores also have stocks of pre-MBO Barracudas, although Moore Large has ceased to supply Motor World. Teague says the remaining “few hundred” Barracudas will be “flushed out when the time is right.”
They are already being offered at 20 percent below RRP but are likely to be blown out with deeper discounting when the 2002 CBR’s start arriving instore from 17th September.
PIC:
Ray Teague, Motor World’s bike buyer (left) with Joe Mogg of Claud Butler/Falcon
Related article:
9th August 2001: Motorworld does a Halfords and goes for a retail makeover
