Who said a bike couldn’t be considered an automotive accessory? In the aftermarket, most have never related the two, until recently when retailers like Pep Boys began featuring motorized-scooter displays as a way to bolster sales. This action just begs us to ask a follow-up question — what about the bike? If retailers are beginning to venture down merchandising paths ridden by two-wheel motorized machines, then why not look at selling bicycles?
A company called Montague Corp., which originally produced bikes for military use, has several sophisticated de-signs that fold up and fit snugly in the trunk or backseat. Drivers looking to transport their bikes no longer have to struggle with the hard-to-reach roof rack, purchase a special trunk attachment or literally take the bike apart in order to make it fit.
Lauren Gregg, marketing manager for Montague, thinks that selling bicycles would be a viable opportunity for aftermarket retailers interested in additional sales — a reason they decided to showcase their bikes at this year’s SEMA show.
“Bikes are a natural accessory and complement to the vehicle,” especially the ones that fold up for easy transport. Most Montague bike models are light in weight, and fold and unfold, with no tools, in about 30 seconds.
Hummer dealers have picked up on the idea, thinking outside their monster-sized boxes, giving showroom visitors a chance to purchase something other than a $40,000 mass of metal. A special, high-performance mountain bike produced by Montague comes as a packaged part of the utility vehicle or as an accessory add-on. The bikes are also available for purchase independently. With coverage appearing nationally on CNN, and in Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes and Parade, they may be on to something. According to Gregg, Hummer bike sales are in the thousands and going strong.
Montague offers several models at various prices, and also has point of purchase and display programs for interested retailers. For more information, contact Lauren Gregg at (617) 491-7200 or log on to www.montaguebikes.com.
