SAN CARLOS, CA (BRAIN)—Ritchey Design has launched its new consumer Web site, which includes e-commerce functionality. Consumers will be able to easily purchase Ritchey products with the sale credited to and fulfilled by independent bicycle dealers (IBD).
Ritchey Design offers multiple categories of cycling products that can be difficult to stock at the retail level, given the breadth of the line, such as its Fit Logic "cockpit" components (handlebars, stems and seatposts). The new Web site makes the entire Ritchey line available to consumers, utilizing Shopatron's e-commerce solution, which assigns online orders to retailers for fast consumer delivery.
"More and more consumers are using the Internet to find the products they need and the 'auction' environment is not that appealing to everyone," said Steve Parke, general manager and vice president of marketing for Ritchey Design. "Ritchey values the specialty retailer in the supply chain. There is no other substitute for the service interface of the independent retailer. The new site will help consumers find the Ritchey item they are looking for and allow us to support the IBD by providing them with sales opportunities."
When consumers place an order through www.RitcheyLogic.com, orders are posted in a special retailer queue called the Shopatron Coex Order Exchange. The following morning, authorized Ritchey retailers, who have signed up with Shopatron, can log in and see the open orders available, select them and then fulfill those orders from their own inventory, with the requirement that orders are shipped within 24-hours. Open orders not selected by retailers revert to Ritchey Design for fulfillment.
In addition, the new Web site will provide Ritchey and its IBD partners with historical sales data for inventory control and consumer direct e-mail marketing promotions to promote brand messages.
"The new site will provide a barometer for stocking Ritchey items," Parke said. "Retailers will be able to have more confidence in carrying Ritchey products because we will be actively steering customers their direction."
Besides the e-commerce feature, the new site features detailed information about Ritchey Design products, sponsored teams, news, cycling tips and a blog. The e-commerce function is only available to consumers in North America, and sales of Ritchey's line of Break-Away travel bikes will not be available when the new site launches.
