ADVERTORIAL
Paul Bowyer – Head of Products (Cycle): How do you select the brands you distribute? What criteria do you look for in a potential partner and how does this curated portfolio benefit your dealers and their customers? PB: The first question I ask is ‘what’s the benefit for our customers?’ We aren’t a brand collection house, and once the initial question has been answered positively, the product on offer must have a technical advantage versus their peers and complement the Oxford brand. We don’t want our customers having to choose between
Oxford or a partner brand we distribute; all our brands expand the category technically, either to the dealer or to the end user.
You’ve hinted about an exciting new brand joining the Oxford family. What can you tell us about this brand and how it fits into Oxford’s overall strategy? PB: I’m excited to add HJC cycle helmets to our portfolio from March. HJC is a brand we’ve distributed for many years on the motorcycle side of the business, and we’ve been a significant partner in establishing them as the world’s no.1 motorcycle helmet brand. HJC entered the cycle market in 2017, but it wasn’t the right time for us to pursue the distribution opportunity.
34 | March 2025
Primarily we didn’t have a network of dealers to support the predominantly premium road-focused range. A great deal has changed at Oxford since then, and when the opportunity arose it was a no-brainer. We know from experience when HJC enters a market the brand wants success. Having insight into their product development, wind tunnel testing and unique technologies, we know they are here for the long term. It’s fair to say the helmet category was at the centre of
the COVID boom and subsequent bust, but we’ve since seen the category recover throughout 2024, and consider it perfect timing. Strategically, this completes our one-stop- shop offering to our dealers; Oxford covers the family and commuter market from the entry point, Kali Protectives moves the bar upwards technically & ticks the offroad box, and HJC completes the category with premium road and gravel.
Beyond new products and brands, what other key initiatives or strategies are you focusing on in 2025 to further support your growth and the success of your dealer network? PB: This isn’t a product-focused answer (and ‘strategy’ sounds grander than it is!) but we’re a distributor, not a retailer; our strategy is to simply be the best model of a distributor to our retail partners.
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