BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The inaugural Cyclescheme supplier conference took place in Bath last week, covering Cyclescheme’s plans for the sector and for the future of C2W.
Twenty organisations attended the meeting, which saw Cyclescheme pledge its support for IBDs and suppliers, promising improved cohesion between the sectors.
Key promises included:
-To support IBDs through extended services, including an online tool kit, and further roadshows enabling retailers to interface with the Cyclescheme platform to access key reports and info to benefit their business-Continued quick payment to assist with retailer cash flow
-The gathering of industry knowledge and stats to share with suppliers to enable a better product offering and service to retailers
-Adding value for the retailer with an increased average price of a Cyclescheme certificate
-Continued commitment to drive incremental business and footfall into IBDs through a 50.48 per cent increase in employer/client numbers over the last year
“Cyclescheme continues to add value and offer better service now to IBDs than five years ago through our greater national reach of employers and employees,” enthused Cyclescheme director Richard Grigsby.
“Our partner stores have grown by 14.6 per cent this year to 1678 and we have conducted 397 employer roadshows to date this year with a total employee base of 963,000 employees all of which helps to drive the core messages of the Cycle To Work Initiative and participation which ultimately benefits our IBD network with sales of bikes.”
The conference was also a chance for attendees to air their views in an open discussion forum.
Cyclescheme director Gary Cooper added: “Bringing industry leaders to the first Cyclescheme Conference proved a great success and has given us a basis to form partnerships that will help sustain the growth in business for the IDBs. The feedback was invaluable and we are already working on some of the suggestions in order to provide an even better service to the IBDs which are so vitally important to the industry as a whole.”
The future of cycle to work has been a hot topic following a rule change made by the HMRC earlier this year.
