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Showing Off

James Huang/BikeRadar
It was announced last week that Pearl Izumi, and owning company Shimano, have opened an "Education Center" in Colorado as a showcase for reps. The center is located close to a bike park for easy access to demo products, allowing Pearl Izumi and Shimano to incorporate a hands on learning experience into clinics and sales meetings. The idea is to provide reps a richer and more valuable engagement with the products, as well as to use the facility in other capacities, like social events and presentations.

Other outdoor brands have embraced this concept for years, such as The North Face, which has 11 showrooms around the country. It gives The North Face and their accounts the opportunity to connect with sales directors, RDD teams, marketing executives, etc., all in one place. "Our showrooms allow us to give our dealers the entire brand experience and to explain our seasonal initiatives in a much more effective way," said Aimee Hart, Specialty Sales Manager at The North Face. Manufacturers of performance running and mountain biking apparel and footwear in addition to heritage outdoor products, The North Face's product line has grown to the point where showrooms allow reps to carry fewer samples on the road and sales teams to gather for an enhanced brand experience at central, regional locations.

Along the same lines from a retail perspective, an online article from VeloNews describes "Frostbike," an event hosted by Quality Bicycle Products (distributor in Bloomington, MN) to enhance education among the local bike shop sales force. The clinics, seminars and product demos are set up to improve education and ultimately create a better buying experience.

At its core, the showroom concept allows brands to better display more products and communicate information in a visually and experientially impactful manner. This delivers a deeper connection to reps and other stakeholders, with the hopes of translating the experience to increased sales out in the field.


View images of the Shimano & Pearl Izumi Education Center: BikeRadar
For more information on "Frostbike": VeloNews
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