Tech

SwiftCarbon South Africa launches new custom-order ecommerce website

· By Press Office · 25 comments

SwiftCarbon’s founder announces local subsidiary’s new direct-to-customer website in their ‘home market’ after his world record breaking ride from Cairo to Cape Town.

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Barely off the bike, having ridden 10660km in 38 days, Mark Blewett joked that he’d ridden all the way to Cape Town just to promote SwiftCarbon South Africa’s brand new direct-to-consumer ordering platform. Surely there are less painful ways to draw present the company’s new drive into the SA’s high end bike market! [read more about this epic journey here]

At SwiftCarbon’s Cape Town showroom, Blewett explained the motivations behind the growing company’s move towards creating new channels to a small gathering. “It’s the future of the bike industry – more and more bike firms are starting to move in this direction. It means we can connect more closely with anyone shopping for a great bike, and that we can respond quickly to what they want. Like in our showroom, we can meet them face to face and that means we can send any important feedback directly back to head office.”

The new website offers secure payments, live chat, and a customer will have various groupset, wheel and kit options while speccing their new frame. Even with this degree of customization, the pricing is still highly competitive. “A benchmark bike for us is our Ultravox RS-1 with an Ultegra 11 speed group and that’s a race-ready machine for under R35000 – there are very few bikes of this quality that can compete.”

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With the market reeling from the tumbling Rand, many are bracing themselves for a major price hike. Charles Keey, General manager of SwiftCarbon South Africa is confident that the local subsidiary can soften the blow. “I think we’re all still super competitive as former racers, and of course we’ve kept a close eye on competing brands. We have done the maths on it and with the route we’re taking, we are still able to give a customer more for their money without having to sacrifice performance.”

It may be a stretch for some buyers to order a bike online without ever seeing it. Official SwiftCarbon Technical Centres are being appointed to solve those misgivings by making demo bikes available, and with a click-and-collect service, they’re also conducting final assemblies and checks. Marc Carr, head of technical says, “When you’re spending R25k plus on a bike, you want to touch and feel what you’re getting, and here you can actually try one out. I reckon a lot of people will go for the click-and-collect – then they can be confident that the bike’s properly adjusted and ready to race.’

Blewett is confident that his eight-year-old enterprise will still be able to contend with the major players. “The industry is headed for a shakeup for sure and that suits us! We have already proved that we can mix it up and even beat the big brands at their own game – we’ve had some brilliant reviews. And even though many of the bigger brands have better buying power, we’re a lean company so with the right setup we can offer buyers world beating bikes at awesome value.”

Check out their opening specials at www.swiftcarbon.com/za like the Attack road bike with 105 11 speed for R19,995 and DVore mountain bike with XTR 2×10 for R34,900.

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Comments

Brickleberry

Dec 2, 2015, 8:42 PM

This is great. My next bike will certainly be a Swift Carbon

TheCannibal

Dec 2, 2015, 8:50 PM

my D-Vore is on its way!

UpShift_Cycles

Dec 3, 2015, 8:11 PM

Going the Canyon way, makes sence to keep pricing down by cutting out the middleman

Vanzyl

Dec 4, 2015, 6:15 AM

Awesome brand, awesome service....we should all be supportIng SWIFT, keep it local!

dirtypot

Dec 4, 2015, 6:39 AM

One of my customers has the Evil Twin with RS-1, carbon wheels and full electronic XTR.  I have to clean my drool off of it multiple times while it's here... 

Veebee

Dec 4, 2015, 6:44 AM

was looking at their page yesterday, damn they are hot !! Tempting but it will have to wait, my current bike is still fairly new.

jcza

Dec 4, 2015, 6:46 AM

I've been riding a Swift Dvore for more than 2 years and tried to buy a Evil Twin. Gave up eventually and got a Momsen. 

Pure Savage

Dec 4, 2015, 7:03 AM

I've been riding a Swift Dvore for more than 2 years and tried to buy a Evil Twin. Gave up eventually and got a Momsen.

Too long to deliver?

MarcW

Dec 4, 2015, 7:08 AM

Too long to deliver?

More likely a shortage of stock. They are getting some in this month apparently. Must say I'm very happy with their service, the Evil Twin is an awesome machine

jcza

Dec 4, 2015, 8:14 AM

Too long to deliver?

 

Asked for invoice and banking details so I could make payment. 

No reply to my email for more than a month.

Mailed again.

Reply came back...no stock.

Maybe end Dec 2016.

Wasn't prepared to wait 3 months.  

donovanmcdonald

Dec 4, 2015, 9:49 PM

So what about the loyal dealers?Do they still expect bike stores to stock their bikes?

raptor-22

Dec 4, 2015, 10:42 PM

So what about the loyal dealers?Do they still expect bike stores to stock their bikes?

 

 

Why shouldn't a retailer stock Swift's? Is there some secret code thats being broken?

Selling direct doesn't necessarily make sales for a retailer uncompetitive

SSCC

Dec 5, 2015, 3:46 PM

Why shouldn't a retailer stock Swift's? Is there some secret code thats being broken?

Selling direct doesn't necessarily make sales for a retailer uncompetitive

The direct model often sets a retail price that the dealers can't match. By selling direct the brand gives away some of the 35% the dealer would have made by trimming the retail price. End result brand makes a higher margin and consumer gets better pricing. That's why dealers don't like the direct model and usually won't support brands that go this route.

Brickleberry

Dec 5, 2015, 3:53 PM

Dealers couldn't have been doing a great job. I tried for ages to get hold of a swift attack in my size. No one could help me. This model is great for the brand , and I think we will see a lot more Swift Carbon bikes around

'Dale

Dec 5, 2015, 3:54 PM

Awesome brand, awesome service....we should all be supportIng SWIFT, keep it local!

Like X million

raptor-22

Dec 5, 2015, 4:48 PM

The direct model often sets a retail price that the dealers can't match. By selling direct the brand gives away some of the 35% the dealer would have made by trimming the retail price. End result brand makes a higher margin and consumer gets better pricing. That's why dealers don't like the direct model and usually won't support brands that go this route.

 

 

I understand the fear side of it, but its not always the case. Most of the time retailers just don't like the fact the distributor is making a higher percentage than they are.

Both models cater for different types of buyer. If I want a Swift badly enough and research it I'd go the direct route. Don't see why I should do all the homework and legwork and the retailer just orders the bike and makes 35-45% for doing nothing.

Pure Savage

Dec 5, 2015, 7:58 PM

I understand the fear side of it, but its not always the case. Most of the time retailers just don't like the fact the distributor is making a higher percentage than they are.

Both models cater for different types of buyer. If I want a Swift badly enough and research it I'd go the direct route. Don't see why I should do all the homework and legwork and the retailer just orders the bike and makes 35-45% for doing nothing.

But who will do your new bike setup for you :P

raptor-22

Dec 5, 2015, 8:29 PM

But who will do your new bike setup for you :P

 vair are vehub

dev null

Dec 6, 2015, 8:24 AM

Have skills and tools, will DIM.

 

Just that price for the frame alone that is bringing a tear to my eyes.  

 

R38K.  Eina.

gummibear

Jan 17, 2016, 7:02 PM

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gummibear

Jan 17, 2016, 7:03 PM

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Rocket-Boy

Jan 17, 2016, 8:11 PM

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That is flippen sexy!

buckstopper

Jan 18, 2016, 5:19 AM

That is flippen sexy!

I saw an article about that bike (Hypervox) on Cyclingnews. It is nice, but Imho I would get over it after a while. I was also unimpressed with the weight listed as 7.4kg (given Zipp tubbs and Sram red group

J∆kk∆ls

Jan 18, 2016, 5:25 AM

Swift Sculp 4.5kg

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