Hero Cycles launches flagship store'Hero ONE' in Delhi

With a motive to revolutionize the face of cycle retail in India, Hero Cycles launched Hero ONE, its flagship retail store in the capital today. With the opening of an exclusive franchise, Hero Cycles aims to reach the consumers directly and offer them a pleasant experience of buying along with product satisfaction. Also, the brand believes that today customer doesn't only need the product, but they also look out for the environment.  Hero ONE aims to offer products for a wider segment of the population.
 
Measuring 1200 sq ft, the shop-in-shop dedicated retail store is situated in South Delhi. The retail showroom will employ a well-trained staff to cater to the clientele and galvanize the way bicycles are sold in India.
"By launching our own retail franchises, we are trying to change the face of cycle retail in India and bring it at par with other lifestyle products. Going forward, we plan to come up with multiple such stores in different cities of the country. The idea of setting up a store in such an area (Yusuf Sarai) is to go close to the consumer and offer the product to consumers from different walks of life,” said Pankaj Munjal, Co- Chairman, Hero Cycles Ltd
 
The brand has planned to make a strong presence in whole country; therefore they have planned to open 10 more stores by September 2013, 100 retail stores by the end of this year and 200 similar stores across country by the end of 2014 across India. The stores will be set up in both metropolitan cities as well as smaller cities and will cater to a wide range of target audience.
 
The company that traditionally sells its products through dealers and mutli-brand retail outlets has taken a step to make a conscious effort to go closer to the consumers by expanding its exclusive franchise dealer network.
"In urban areas, a majority of cycles are generally purchased for kids. Besides, there is also the market of people who look at bicycles as a recreational product. However, traditionally cycles are still sold in the next door shops. The retail store concept has not actually caught up in the cycle segment in India,” said Ankur Thakur, Vice President, Marketing, Hero Cycles LTD.
 
The store was inaugurated by Pankaj Munjal, Co-Chairman Hero Cycles Ltd., in the presence of S.K. Rai, M D Works, G D Kapoor, Director Marketing and Sales, and Ankur Thakur, Vice President, Marketing.  Also present on the occasion were Gaurav Sachdeva, GM, Retail and Gaurav Matta, Manager, Marketing & Retail.
 
In recent years, cycling has also picked up as a recreational activity in adults as well as in fitness enthusiasts who resort to cycling to keep up their fitness levels. With an aim to cater to such a clientele, Hero ONE will also be equipped with a well-trained staff to advise buyers on choosing the product for their fitness needs.