British bicycle maker lands in Bangkok
WATCHIRANONT THONGTEP
THE NATION


Brompton Bicycle

BANGKOK: -- THE BOSS of British folding bike manufacturer Brompton Bicycle hopes to encourage more people to enjoy the freedom, fun and fitness aspects of cycling after opening its first store in the Kingdom.

The bike market is expected to heat up after the official arrival of Brompton, which aims to see at least 15 per cent year-on-year growth here, on top of its current sales through local dealers.

"Brompton is not only an iconic hand-made folding bike from the UK, but we believe that it is a vehicle of freedom," managing director William Butler-Adams told The Nation last week after the grand opening of the eighth Brompton Junction store in the world.

The store is located strategically in the business district on Sukhumvit Soi 24.

Asked why Brompton wanted to add Bangkok in its portfolio, Butler-Adams - who was recently awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the manufacturing industry - described Thailand as a "young market with massive opportunity".

He said that Bangkok was similar to other big cities in Europe and Northern America - people were moving into the city for a better life and job opportunities - and unavoidably exacerbated traffic congestion and related problems.

As a result, he said, local governments were putting more focus on bicycle infrastructure in cities in a bid to ease traffic congestion, reduce fuel consumption and public health costs.

"Bikes are part of the long-term social solution for urban living," he said. "Therefore, we believe in the long run that bikes are going to make a big comeback in the city."

With more than 35 years of experience in folding bike manufacturing, he said that Brompton had been heavily investing in product innovation as well as research and development in order to create excellently designed products that met customers' needs.

But he said that despite the company's high-quality bikes, there were a number of direct and indirect rivals in the Thai market, particularly local second-hand bike manufacturers and budget manufacturers from China.

In response to this competition, Butler-Adams said that the company would make its products more affordable for Thai customers.

To maintain its innovation edge, he said that the company had for the past seven years being working on delivering an electric folding bike but he admitted the task was quite difficult.

Brompton employs 250 employees at his west London factory, where it produces 45,000 bikes a year - which make up 80 per cent of its total sales in 44 countries.

Asia Pacific contributes 40 per cent of its total sales.

After Bangkok, Butler-Adams said that within three month the ninth concept store would open in Chengdu, adding to the two stores currently operating in China.

Brompton also has stores in Milan, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Kobe, Hamburg and Amsterdam.

To hit the break-even point, Bulter-Adams said that there needed to be annual sales of at least 250 at each store.

For its operation in Thailand, Brompton has Singapore-based folding bike specialist Mighty Velo as the authorised distributor.

Steven Lim, director of Mighty Velo, said that his company had partnered with young entrepreneur Thitiwat Manoonpon to run the Bangkok store under the company name Brompton Bicycle (Thailand).

Before establishing the Bangkok store, Mighty Velo appointed seven local dealers in Bangkok and one in Chiang Mai to sell the bikes.

Last year, Lim said approximately 1,000 Brompton bikes were sold via local dealers.

With more collaboration between its dealers and the store, Lim expects that figure to exceed 1,600 this year.

He plans to recruit more dealers in Phuket and Hua Hin.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/British-bicycle-maker-lands-in-Bangkok-30251687.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-12

Those folding bikes are great for stowing away behind the seat of your private plane or jet.

You guys all have private planes or jets, right?

That looks like a very PAINFUL pose!

Those folding bikes are great for stowing away behind the seat of your private plane or jet.

You guys all have private planes or jets, right?

Amazingly they are also great on trains and buses!

Love cycling. I hope the shop does well, I will be checking it out.

I know this man from school. He has worked wonders with this company.

I would not advise riding a bicycle on the roads of Thailand unless you have a death wish.

British bikes ?

if it aint Raleigh . . . i aint happy.

'Second hand bicycle manufacturer' what's one of them then?

Sukh soi 24 is not the central business district.

The Nation getting desperate for news, especially if this is front page stuff.

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Those folding bikes are great for stowing away behind the seat of your private plane or jet.

You guys all have private planes or jets, right?

Yeah ,the learjet is getting a tad old its 5 years since I got a new one, thinking of trading up to a modified 767 from an old mate up in China.

Not sure he put much thought into his wardrobe for the photo shoot.......He looks a mismatched t!t.

Brompton Bicycles Thailand

http://www.onefineday-bicycle.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=3&Itemid=6

Wonder what sort of duty will be incurred. Do not know of any bicycle manufacturers in Thailand, so perhaps not so much.

Riding a bike around old Bangkok is quited okay; China Town, around government house, Samsen road, Hwa Loompong, all they way to Chongnongsi. The least pleasant place is around Sukhimvit.

Some points:

1) I drive a Honda Wave motorbike in Bangkok. If you are stationery at traffic lights with a few other motorbikes for any length of time, you sure know the air from fumes are unhealthy.

2) The whole reason that Thais drive cars in Bangkok is because they want to show they are rich and stay un-sweaty . The Brompton would not achieve either of these objectives in Bangkok.

3) Most Thais do not want to walk for 100 meters let alone cycle anywhere. Enthusiastic cyclists in Bangkok would not be riding a Brompton but more likely opt for a Hybrid Mountain Bike / Road Bike.

If I was manufacturing a bike for Bangkok and typical Thai people, it would be a strong reliable simple Hybrid Mountain Bike / Road Bike with 5 gear block (12 to 24 ) with 35 mm strong city tyres. The basis is already available in even in Big C.

Wonder what sort of duty will be incurred. Do not know of any bicycle manufacturers in Thailand, so perhaps not so much.

Riding a bike around old Bangkok is quited okay; China Town, around government house, Samsen road, Hwa Loompong, all they way to Chongnongsi. The least pleasant place is around Sukhimvit.

The bikes on there website are priced at 74000-85000 Baht

Only 3 models listed!

up and down the soi...

anything else is suicidal.

I would love to cycle home from work every day but I just don't want to die so young

85,000 baht for a cicycle? - He can piss off back home

To hit the break-even point, Bulter-Adams said that there needed to be annual sales of at least 250 at each store.

No doubt Brompton bikes are not way overpriced and the manufacturer only take moderate profits on the bikes.

they are competing with the 10s of thousands of secondhand japanese imports, that every man and his dog across the country is now selling

but i dont see the little wheel folding bike ever becoming a huge market

little wheels and big holes = horrible ride and slow,

kids dont want them, men dont want them, not to many ladies like to ride, grannies and pops are happy with what they use now.

the current market that i see is 30+ yr old males buying imported front suspension 26" wheel cross training type bikes.

good luck to them, but i dont see them turning profit out of that store anytime soon

This little advertising copy seems to have a flat tire judging by the comments above.

^^^ Where in Pattaya is "every man and his dog" selling second-hand Japanese bikes? I'm interested to know.

Many inner city Bangkok commutes would actually be more convenient by bicycle.

Bangkok's hot.

Install more showers for bike commuters.

Those folding bikes are great for stowing away behind the seat of your private plane or jet.

You guys all have private planes or jets, right?

Amazingly they are also great on trains and buses!

If you can afford a Brompton, you're not taking any buses. Trains, maybe. But Trinx and Chevrolet 7,500 baht folding bikes fit just as well as a 75,000 Brompton.

Add up all the expenses incurred in operating a bicycle shop in a high rent place like a BKK tourist area. If they can break even selling 250 bicycles (less than 5 per week), that says something about their markup.

I would love to cycle home from work every day but I just don't want to die so young

85,000 baht for a cicycle? - He can piss off back home

The s/h bicycle shops in CM stock dozens of the foldups for between 2,000 and 3,500 bht.

Can't see much demand for these expensive British ones.

He's going to get the shock of his life when he sees that they sell bicycles for a 2,000 baht,

although from China but still can do they job, that is until they get stolen....

I work with a really fat guy that went over the handlebars of a Brompton. Hell of a state. He was in one hell of a state.

The Chinese will get the contract I think!

Not sure he put much thought into his wardrobe for the photo shoot.......He looks a mismatched t!t.

Except for the large bulge in his pants, he looks like an Aussie.

That looks like a very PAINFUL pose!

If he tries speaking in that position I wonder what octave it will be in ?