Tube Investments launches online-exclusive bicycle brand

Tube Investments of India, part of the diversified business conglomerate Murugappa Group, today launched "Brooks" brand of bicycles that would be available as an online exclusive, a top official said today.
Tube Investments under its TI Cycles division has been retailing BSA, Hercules, Montra range of cycles under offline and online models.
Cashing in on the growing e-commerce market, the city-based firm introduced "Brooks" range of bicycles priced from Rs 5,299 to Rs 10,625 that would be exclusively available in portals Flipkart and its own website www.Brooksbicycle.Com.
"We are launching it as a separate brand. Sourcing of parts is also separate. We are sourcing the parts from SAARC countries and we will be selling the bicycles here. In the first year (of launch) we are looking at a modest number of sales of 10,000 units," Tube Investments of India MD L Ramkumar told reporters here.

The cycles will be available in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad initially and later expanded to 10 cities over the next six months, he said.
Asked whether the company would manufacture the bicycles, he said it would depend on the volumes as currently online sales of bicycles for the company was minimal.

According to Tube Investments of India Vice-President (Corporate Strategy Group), K C Ramamoorthy, the launch of bicycles through online was against the backdrop of a study which revealed that about two million people search for bicycles online every month before making a purchase.
"These bicycles will be fully assembled at the time of delivery and he/she will be able to ride it immediately. We have partnered with Jeeves Consumer Services to provide the after-sales service..,: he said.

To a query, he said the company would tie up with other e-commerce portals too for the launch of the bicycles.