How Brompton’s omnichannel play fueled its best North American quarter
When foldable bike company Brompton looked at ways to boost its North American sales amid a struggling sector, one of its first steps was trying to get more people on its bikes at its network of 150 locally-owned bike shops.
Juliet Scott-Croxford, Brompton’s president of North America, said the company knew that people who take test rides are twice as likely to convert, and convert faster, than those who don’t. That’s why, at the start of this year, it upgraded the technology that its retail partners use to make it easier for people to sign up for test rides. Now, they fill out a short form, give a photo ID or debit card, and grab a helmet and their choice of bike.
But the new system also allows retailers to see online stock in real time and make a sale, even if they don’t have the bike in store. Scott-Croxford said that Brompton made a “major investment” in the technology used by retail partners, but it is poised to pay off. “It’s by no means perfect yet, but this tech upgrade has supported our test-drive program, which consistently drives strong sales conversion.”
The boosted test-ride activity helped propel the company to its best-ever quarter in North American e-commerce sales by revenue, Scott-Croxford said. Brompton’s first quarter, which runs from April to June, saw a 32% year-over-year increase in e-commerce sales in North America from its website alone, with a 25% increase in orders.
“The more test drives we can drive helps us increase sales across all of our channels, but we’ve seen that uplift in e-commerce, as well,” she said. “We know that when people do a test ride, they fall in love with the bike — but we were making it easier for people to access products online, as well, and we also recognize how consumers want to shop.”
For Brompton, a 50-year old brand that manufactures out of West London, growing North American sales is a top priority. Its last fiscal year saw a 99% decrease in profits as the bike industry overall has struggled to catch up after pull-forward demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It forced a lot of discounting, and it forced a lot of bike brands to really innovate and think about how to reach their consumers in different ways,” Scott-Croxford said.
Brompton’s current strategies are aiming to position it as a true omnichannel business. Brompton first entered the market in 2018 with a New York City store, as its foldable bikes are well-suited for commuters in urban markets. This April, it opened another flagship store in Washington, D.C. It currently has around 150 wholesale accounts with authorized independent dealers, plus national accounts like REI. It pays special attention to big cities that are key markets, called “Gold Cities,” by organizing group rides, or having stores with more styles and inventory on hand. Shoppers can also take out a Brompton for a five-day loan from its two owned retail stores for a longer experience of living with the bike.
The company has also seen a rise in “click and collect,” with about half of online Brompton buyers choosing to pick up their purchase at a local bike shop to get it unboxed and set up for their physique.
Beyond demand, though, the overall sector is still rife with challenges. Like all brands, Bromtpon was affected by President Donald Trump’s tariff policy changes. Bike tariffs are based on where the frame is made, and for the London-based Brompton, that means a 10% tariff on U.K. products now applies. Brompton had to increase its prices by 5-10% in the U.S. to manage the rising costs — but it’s still less than its competitors that manufacture in Asia may have to deal with. “The U.K. was one of the first countries to get to an agreement with the administration, which I think was a good thing because there are still ongoing conversations across the globe,” Scott-Croxford said.
Another built-in challenge for the brand is a long buying cycle for a high consideration purchase, as Bromptons start at around $1,650. People may take six months from first hearing about a Brompton to making the purchase, Scott-Croxford said.
But that’s where a more robust omnichannel strategy can move things along.
Megan Hastings, head of customer insight strategy at data platform Quantum Metric, said online and in-store experiences are more connected than ever, especially in high-consideration purchases. Quantum’s data shows customers need to visit a website two to three times before taking action, but that increases to four to six times for “high value” products. To that end, an in-person experience can help push them over the edge.
“Specs, videos and customer reviews can’t replace the benefit of test rides in-person to understand the feel, handling and fit of a bike,” she said.
Tim Glomb, head of content strategy at marketing technology platform Wunderkind, said test rides are can also speed up buying journeys because the brand can capture customer data. People will be sharing their email or phone number and likely opting into communications, which can be tailored based on what they’re looking to buy. Glomb said offering a digital form on a store iPad and a QR code that shoppers can scan with their phone are among the best ways to get these forms filled out correctly — and in no more than 60-120 seconds.
“A lot of brands don’t realize it, but customers are excited to tell their story — especially with something personal like how a bike fits into their life,” he said. “It’s about giving a little insight into their lifestyle, and that data is pure fuel that allows Brompton to connect with people in a meaningful way.”
Beyond sprucing up its test-ride system, Croxford said another key to North American growth is a refreshed digital marketing strategy and an increase in social media activity. At the start of the year, the company pulled digital media marketing in-house and decided to hone in on profitable ad strategies that drive awareness with more content, and also focus on conversions using customer data.
“Data is key,” Croxford said. “The fact that we brought it back in-house gave us the ability to be a lot more nimble and agile with the things we test and learn.”
On the content side, Croxford said Instagram is a particularly useful channel. Brompton has a creator network in its Gold Cities that show people using the bike in day-to-day life. Croxford said they are “really amazing at capturing and bringing to life the local culture, so we bring to life what the bike is like in their environment and showcase the portability.”
The company is also hoping to grow its North American customer base with new product categories. In the spring, Brompton rolled out its G Line, a 20-inch wheel model that can handle rougher terrain than the 16-inch. Come October, it will also launch its e-bike line, which aims to better mesh with American suburbs than zippy European cities, as they can be taken on longer trips.
“Bikes were often perceived as the vehicle for the first and last mile of your journey, whereas with electric, it could be the first and last five to 10 miles,” Croxford said. “It’s such a freeing way to move around a city or a location, particularly if you want to be more active and take care of your health, as well as be conscious of the environment you live in.”
Overall, Brompton said one key to developing the omnichannel strategy is frequent collaboration between e-commerce and operations, as well as marketing and wholesale.
“There really is the opportunity to uplift all channels with and not at the expense of another, but that is a bit of delicate tightrope to walk,” she said.