Mar
4
Specialized expands, stays in Salt Lake City
Filed Under Exhibitor News, Industry News, Interbike | 1 Comment
Newspaper business section mentions of bike industry companies make me happy. They show that the bicycle is having a noticeable impact on the economy and people’s lives. And like a few people commented (over on the Facebook cross-posting) on the post about the economic impact of bikes on the state of Wisconsin, money talks and makes even people who are apathetic about bikes pay attention.
The Salt Lake Tribune’s business section contains a story today about Specialized’s decision to remain–and expand their facility–in SLC when their original 10 year lease expired not too long ago.
Specialized first located their western distribution center on the west side of SLC back in 1999 and have been very pleased with what the state has offered them and their employees. This seems to be in line with what we’ve seen from many other cycling and outdoor recreation companies over the last ten years that have chosen to relocate or open DC’s in the SLC-Ogden area of Utah. Quality Bike Products (QBP) is a recent notable example from the bike industry, having chosen Ogden as the location for the new warehouse they plan to build.
In addition to the logistical benefits of SLC, Kim Petersen, Specialized’s corporate distribution manager is quoted in the article as saying:
“The icing on the cake is that Utah is a fantastic place to live and raise a family, with unlimited outdoor recreation possibilities. There’s also a great population of cyclists here. Specialized believes in cycling and the future of the sport and believes things will recover here. So we decided to make the investment and set up a new lease for a building with expansion capabilities.”
The photo above shows Specialized-SLC employees’ bikes racked in the warehouse. Just like their counterparts in Morgan Hill, California, lunch time rides seem to be a regular part of the workday. That’s great to hear, but I’m guessing that the weather in Morgan Hill is a tad more pleasant this time of year for those rides…
“There’s also a great population
of cyclists here,” he added. “Specialized believes in cycling and the future of the sport and believes things will recover here. So we decided to make the investment and set up a new lease for a building with expansion capabilities.”
Mar
2
Of all the things I’ve posted about here on this blog since it launched back in 2006, there’s one page that has remained as the top visited page since it was written. And it’s not bike business-related or about Interbike. Well, at least not directly related. It’s about a fun website that allows you to design your dream fixie. And many of those readers who visited that page found it by searching for the top ranked search term for Interbike Times, “fixie design.”
Not one to avoid going back to the same well for more of the same traffic, I give you Design Your Dream Fixie 2.0: trendy fashion retailer Urban Outfitters has been selling bikes through its website–even going so far as to call it the “Urban Outfitters Bike Shop” and give it its own vanity url: bikes.urbanoutfitters.com.
The site lets you design your own bike and preview how it will look as you go along. Once you’ve designed it–by selecting frame, wheel and component colors–and placed your order, they (or rather their partner Republic Bike) build it and ship it to you (some assembly required). All for the incredibly attractive price of $399.
Is this mass-merchant/big box-style bike selling or a popular and fashionable non-endemic retailer helping to spread the gospel of bikes to their customer base? Does the simple and straightforward nature of fixed gear bikes alleviate some of the concern that U.O. don’t have service departments in their stores at all? If fixies hadn’t developed into the trend that they are, would U.O. be selling any bikes at all? Is a fixie just a fashion accessory to the U.O. customer or are they being used in a very practical way as a means of transportation with some lasting impact on the buyer’s lifestyle?