Italian gravel and road bike brand, 3T, is introducing what is being billed as a… ‘totally unique concept for dealers to order bikes for 2024’.
The company notes that bike dealers do not need to pre-order bikes in advance any longer, but can reserve production capacity and make last minute decisions on model, size, colour and spec.
Rene Wiertz, CEO at 3T, said “Pre-season programs haven’t worked for retailers for a long time. Long lead times combined with uncertain demand creates overstock, discounting and cash flow challenges throughout the entire industry.
“3T in-house carbon production offers the retailer maximum flexibility. Overstock, missed sales and margin-eroding discounts are history.”
With the new program, retailers are no longer required to pre-order 3T’s bike models and guess the exact specification and colour well in advance. Instead, dealers can reserve production capacity for the next 12 months, and then take a final decision on which model, colour, size and specification they would like to receive six weeks before delivery.
“This is the great advantage of our filament winding + RTM technology,” said Gerard Vroomen, 3T Head of Design.
“Because we store the raw materials of fibres and resins at the factory, it doesn’t matter to us if the retailer decides at the last moment to change a Strada into a Racemax. We change the winder program, change the filament spools and plug in a different mould.”
Luca Mongodi, a artner at 3T’s investor UTurn Investments added “This is the reason why we invested last November. 3T is changing the game of the bike industry, and we are happy to be able to accelerate this fundamental change with our investment in the in-house carbon factory and bike assembly, and creating sustainable jobs in Italy.”
3T’s new production slot reservation program is valid for all bikes made in Italy. All 3T models will be available in ‘Italia versions’ by Q4 2023. The production capacity available for 2024 is 5,000 units, and 3T adds that it ‘continues to expand this capacity rapidly’.
