Swansea-based ACT member opens first brick and mortar showroom
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
Swansea-based ACT member Uprise Bikes has opened its first brick and mortar showroom as it enters a new phase of growth and expands its presence in the growing e-bike market.
The move follows a significant uptick in demand for e-bikes, partly due to wellbeing becoming more of a priority since the pandemic.
The business – which is owned by cycling group, Cycle Solutions – also made the decision to invest in a new 8,313 sq ft storage facility.
Uprise Bikes said the new unit will boost its stock capacity allowing the business to maintain more consistent supply levels. Along with its new showroom, the business’ investment is set to increase its turnover this year by 14% to £32m.
The rapid growth has created six jobs at the business' new showroom. It also has plans in place to create more roles at its new storage space to help manage the logistics of its stock and order sheets. The family-owned business was founded last year by Mike Jones, Keith Jones, and Steve Edgell.
Steve Edgell, founder of Uprise Bikes, said: "Our new shop and storage facility will create a package for us to take full advantage of the e-bike bug."
Jonathan Richards, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, which supported the expansion, said:
"Uprise Bikes is the perfect example of a business not just tapping into an emerging segment of the market, but also showcasing how retailers can remain innovative and move forward. Investing in its product base and storage capacity has paved the way for the business’ high speed strategic growth and build further resilience.
"We will continue to stay by the side of firms like Uprise Bikes to help them take advantage of emerging trends and opportunities across the region.”