BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
This plan was launched at the SpringCOLA trade fair which finished yesterday at G-Mex in Manchester. It is a very ambitious and far-reaching three-year programme which will cost £750 000 to implement.
Central to the plan is a series of new promotional initiatives to encourage greater participation in outdoor activities. These include a major consumer PR and advertising campaign under the Go Outdoors banner. This will be aimed at affluent older couples and family groups.
A National Outdoor Week similar to National Bike Week is planned for 2002.
The plan also includes the creation of a new charitible fund, supported by contributions from across the outdoor trade, to assist young people to access outdoor opportunities.
Significantly, the OIAs plan is also big on research definitely something the bike trade needs to copy. The OIA will be setting up an industry-standard market monitor to measure and track sales in the outdoor sector, as well as a quarterly business trends survey.
A PDF of the strategic development plan can be downloaded at www.go-outdoors.org.uk/trade-update.
NB
The Outdoor Industries Association was up until recently called COLA, the Camping and Outdoor Leisure Association. It represents both retailers and suppliers.
