For most countries, No. Unfortunately, (perhaps fortunately for you) we have not yet been able to convince ourselves to raise prices enough to support the financial load of distributors. We understand the value of distribution and the ease of acquisition through bike shops and such, but we want our customers to get the best value for their money, so our margins don’t support distribution channel requirements.
In a nutshell, there is a cost associated with marketing products through distributors like QBP, BTI and others. In order for these distributors to exist, they must mark up the product from wholesale to the dealer price. The dealers must mark it up again when selling it to the end customer. It’s not a bad system, and each entity in the chain has a purpose, but each must also make a profit (or they could not exist), which means the cost to the end customer is increased with each link in the chain.
What does that mean to you?
- Our lower prices mean you get more for the money. WickWerks only produces high-end chainrings. Check out our prices compared to other high-end rings and you’ll see the difference. In some cases you can buy 3 WickWerks chainring sets for the price of one of theirs – even though WickWerks rings perform better.
- WickWerks products are not as easily acquired. Dealers must have an account at WickWerks.com rather than purchasing from their favorite distributors. Unfortunately that means more work for dealers — which we don’t like, but it means lower prices for the end customer, and better service to everyone.
- It means WickWerks products are available directly to customers (via this web site). If your favorite bike shop does not carry WickWerks chainrings, you can get them here.
- Because WickWerks handles dealer sales directly, dealers have one source for support. That means the buck stops here and all things are handled directly by the company that wants to really make a difference with it’s own products.
Countries outside of North America
The context of distribution takes on a different flavor for international sales. The high cost of shipping, the long delays in delivery (through customs and other delays) make distribution more favorable for our international customers. International distributors can provide product to customers in a timely manner without the high cost of international shipping. WickWerks does work with distributors overseas where we can ship in larger quantities and slower speeds — to reduce cost ultimately for the end customer.
Summary
So, it’s a mixed bag. There are advantages and disadvantages to both you and us in using distributors. If you have specific questions about distributors, or if you are a distributor and have a good case for integrating our products with your services, please Contact Us. We would love to hear from you.
