Seven new branded stores have been opened online as part of VSI Products, a major conglomerate of bicycle brands, through their partnership with Shopatron's eCommerce platform, said the company in a press release on Thursday.
The seven brands of bikes include Intense BMX, THE, Sinz Racing, SpeedCo, Vigor Helmets, Eye BMX, and ITS (Intense Tyres). Through Shopatron, according to the press release, riders around the world will be able to purchase products from any of the seven lines online, and their own convenience, and pick up the bicycles and accompanying accessories at a local shop. Through the eCommerce system, bike purchasers in the United States can buy their goods online, and then assign the orders to local bike stores for delivery to the consumer.
"This partnership with Shopatron opens a new sales channel for VSI and all seven of our brands," Gregorio De Haro, VSI Products COO, stated for the press release. "It not only allows us to sell to new consumers online, but also support and reward the retailers that already stock our products."
Shopatron, which was founded in 2001 and has worked with over 1,000 brands and 20,000 retail partners in well beyond 40 industries, already hosts almost 50 other bicycle brands on their platform, including Specialzed, Cane Creek, and Ritchey, listed the press release, all of which pass their online orders to nearly 2,000 local bike stores around the world. The seven from VSI Products would be an addition to the company.
"For companies like VSI Products, with multiple brands in their portfolio, having a full-service, world-class eCommerce solution makes it easier for them to get their products into the hands of consumers," Ed Stevens, Shopatron founder and CEO, was quoted as saying for the press release. "And in the bicycle industry, where most sales come through local bike shops, incorporating those shops in your eCommerce strategy not only makes sense, it increases overall sales."
VSI Products has been heading the design, manufacturing, and marketing of bicycle brands since its opening in 1993, which included several of the seven makers being provided through Shopatron, like Intense BMX, THE, Sinz, Speedco, and ITS, the press release said.
