BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
One Generation Ahead (OGA) has reported a successful first few months of operations in the UK and Ireland, and has reaffirmed its commitment to the Tern dealer network.
OGA has worked with Tern Bicycles since its inception and launch in 2011, supplying independent bicycle dealers in France, Italy, Portugal, Finland and Sweden.
Since taking the reins in the UK in March 2023 to handle Tern Bicycles distribution for the UK and Ireland, the OGA team has shipped numbers and value higher than 2022 to its dealer network, and is gradually increasing availability of stock of bikes, accessories and spare parts from its new Derbyshire warehouse, with backup stock available from OGA’s central warehouse in Milan, Italy.
Tern Bicycles UK & IE are also working with a new warehouse partner, Adaptive DCS Ltd.
Adaptive DCS is owned and run by two former directors of Moore Large — Adam Garner and Dale Vanderplank.
Despite some initial inefficiency of having products shipped to UK dealers from OGA’s warehouse in Milan, the supply chain has now been stabilised.
Products are now primarily being fulfilled locally from the Derbyshire warehouse direct to UK dealers.
For dealers in Ireland, most deliveries are currently being supplied from the Milan warehouse due to benefits from the simplified processes inside the EU.
OGA and Tern rely on the expertise and experience of their dealer network to sell and service their products.
Bikes and e-bikes need regular service from trained mechanics with the right diagnostic tools — and therefore local bike shops are an essential part of the puzzle.
When regular maintenance or service is required, dealers are also the first point of contact of any rider, helping them diagnose the issue and getting replacement parts from suppliers as needed.
For Tern-specific parts and components, dealers may request replacements from OGA. For the past few months weekly shipments to the UK have been made to catch up on locally out-of-stock parts or accessories.
Luigi Barbavara, OGA managing director, said: “I have been really impressed by the demand for our bikes in the UK.
“We have invested in significant stocks of bikes accessories and spare parts so that as we look forward to 2024, we should have strong availability across all products for shipment from our Derby warehouse. I would like to thank all our customers and partners for the hard work to re-establish the supply chain over 2023”
OGA and Tern have a shared goal to keep stock of all Tern-specific parts, despite the supply chain challenges seen globally over the past years.
The team is working on improving availability and reducing lead times, and retail partners are encouraged to seek assistance from OGA whenever necessary.
Mark Bickerton of Tern Bicycles UK & IE said: “Since the formation of the new company, we have been working on both streamlining and refining our dealer network.
“This has taken into account the challenges brought on by the post-pandemic whiplash which has affected the whole industry. We are so grateful for the support and enthusiasm from our dealer network over the last few months. We have a few gaps to fill, and are expanding by adding some service-only dealers to ensure rapid response to any issues.”
Any retailers with enquiries are advised to contact: mark.bickerton@ternbicycles.co.uk
