Royal Enfield opens bike outlets in Paris, Madrid
14 Oct 2015
Indian motorcycle maker Royal Enfield on Tuesday announced it has opened exclusive stores in Madrid and Paris, in line with its global strategy to become one of the major players in the 250 to 750 cc premium bikes category internationally.
Royal Enfield is looking to expand its presence in these markets with over 80 dealerships across France and 25 in Spain. In France the brand has witnessed an upward growth of 60 per cent in the first seven months of 2015, compared to the same period last year and has plans of opening three more such stores in the coming year.
In Spain, the two-wheeler market has grown by 23 per cent and Royal Enfield has received an encouraging response, reporting sales growth of 300 per cent between January-August 2015 over the same period in the previous year.
Despite their rather dated technology, Royal Enfield bikes – descendants of the British company that went defunct in 1971 – are still fairly popular in Western markets as well as in India, thanks to their retro looks and distinctive feel.
The company's exports in the first nine months of this calendar year (January-September) grew 44 per cent to 7,028 units as compared to 4,893 units in the same period last month.
The jump is attributed to the company's growing footprint in countries such as Colombia apart from the US and the UK, and its recent entry into France and Spain.
Arun Gopal, international business head, Royal Enfield, said, ''France and Spain represent two of the most important markets for us in Europe. We have witnessed immense growth in both places, which is fuelled by our proximity to customers in these regions through a wide distribution network and increasing dealerships in the past few months. Our evocative product range available at an accessible price point is what appeals to motorcycling enthusiasts in these markets.''
The exclusive stores are part a of Royal Enfield's new retail strategy, showcasing its brand philosophy of `Pure Motorcycling'. The concept stores draw inspiration from the living room of a motorcycling enthusiast.