NEWS HUB
Kona bought by founders
THE future of Kona Bicycles appears to have been secured after it was confirmed that the original owners had bought it back from Kent Outdoors.
In a letter published online, Dan Gerhard and Jake Heilbron announced the acquisition after “a bumpy couple years” for the brand, returning it to its roots. Renewing relationships with a nearly 1,000 North American and European dealer network is the duo’s highest priority. The key part to this will be a pause of direct-to-consumer
sales. New Kona inventory is headed to the brand’s warehouse and distributors, and alongside the freshly released Ouroboros, there is more new product in the pipeline that is due to be unveiled in the coming months.
In further good
news, Kona is now positioned to price its bikes “much more competitively”. The letter concluded:
“Private ownership allows us to be more streamlined, more flexible, and quicker on our feet. This, combined with the support of our suppliers, means we can deliver high quality bikes in a distinctly Kona flavour at super attractive prices. We’ll never do a BOGO Sale again, so don’t ask, but we promise to offer good value for good money, always.”
Wahoo overhauls B2B website and enhances sales support
WAHOO Fitness is announcing a series of significant initiatives designed to improve UK retailer sales, support and customer service. This includes: free shipping for all
orders made via the Wahoo B2B site, new sales support initiatives, and a revamped B2B website. The revamped website is more intuitive, making navigation simpler and order processing faster. Wahoo has also made changes to its leadership. Bruce
Vires Velo opens Factor Bikes showroom
VIRES Velo, the exclusive UK partner for Factor Bikes and Black Inc, has opened a new premium showroom space and bike fitting studio Buckinghamshire. This new facility offers a new destination to experience Factor bikes and the state-of-the-art idmatch bike fitting system.
The studio has been designed to give riders the complete Factor experience in the UK with: a showroom for the full range of performance road, gravel, TT and mountain bikes, demo bikes available to test ride in the Chilterns, and a selection of Black Inc wheels and components on display.
www.bikebiz.com
Sandell, head of global partnerships, has taken on responsibility for the UK sales team and strategy, working with country manager Ben Keenan and Reece Pringle, north territory brand manager. Sandell commented: “Wahoo is committed to providing exceptional support to our retail partners and
these new initiatives reflect our dedication to enhancing their experience with us, ensuring they have the very best tools, sales and marketing support to succeed.”
Adaptive DCS to supply Limar
LIMAR has appointed Adaptive DCS as its exclusive sales representative in the UK. As well as
strengthening Limar’s position in the market, this strategic move is aiming to offer retailers and consumers improved support. A new commercial set-up is also intended to expand Limar’s
presence in the UK, benefiting from Adaptive DCS’ in-depth industry knowledge and experience. A new product range will be distributed in the UK, including the latest helmet models and a new eyewear collection, both of which have already been successful in international markets.
July 2024 | 11
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