An expanding motorbike specialist in the UK is set to open its first walk-in top gear superstore.
The Ministry of Bikes – The MOB for short – opens the clothing and accessories outlet in Oldbury this Thursday (August 7).
Creating up to five new jobs, the boots-to-helmets retailer complements MOB’s newly-unveiled online store.
BLD, the leading nationwide provider of motorcycle hire, repair, servicing, MOTs, transport services and custom paintwork for bikers, runs The MOB.
The store at unit 6, Demuth Way, Oldbury, just off junction 2 of the M5, is located at BLD Birmingham’s motorcycle centre, creating one-stop convenience for customers.
Stuart Dobson, BLD’s operations director, said: “This is our first walk-in retail shop in the UK, creating a top gear superstore for bikers in the Black Country and beyond, and we are looking to develop others sites under The MOB brand.
“Our customers are intensely loyal and have been telling us that they would like the convenience of being able to shop for clothing and accessories at our centres and well as through our online shop, which receives more than 4,000 unique visitors per week.
“Industry figures show that there are 1.2 million active motorcyclists in the UK, so there is clearly potential to grow the business significantly through The MOB and BLD brands.”
Stuart added: “With the UK economy now bigger than at any time in its history, following a return to form following the six-year recession, our customers feel more confident about making purchases.
“The new store is also a welcome boost to the motorbike retail sector, which sadly had a number of high-profile casualties, such as Hein Gericke, in the downturn.”
A fit-out firm, Oracle Storage Solution, based in Thatcham, Berkshire, is carrying out the transformation of the Oldbury unit into a retail store following a £30,000 investment.
Top brands range from AGV to x-lite, with regular clearance sales to suit bikers on all budgets.
Oldbury made national headlines when hometown triathlete Jodie Stimpson won the first gold medal of the Commonwealth Games; civic leaders are set to put up ‘Goldbury’ signs.
BLD, set up 14 years ago by a group of motorbike enthusiasts under the name of the Bikers Legal Defence, has more than 150 staff, with six insurance-approved centres.
As well as Oldbury, the others are in Ringwood in south-west Hampshire, Bournemouth in Dorset, Camberley in Surrey, Cumbernauld, to the north-east of Glasgow, and Brighouse, just north of Huddersfield in Yorkshire.
BLD is also the motorcycle claims service provider of choice by insurers and brokers across the country, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and regulated by the Claims Management Regulator.
The company’s call centre is based at its headquarters Ringwood, near Bournemouth.
According to the Motorcycle Industry Association, the industry contributes £7 billion to the UK economy annually, with 62,000 jobs supported, with an estimated 22 motorcycles per 1,000 people.
