Motorcycles and bikes are not what most consumers expect to find in the typical Best Buy store, but that may change one day as the consumer electronics retailer plans to test selling the Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle in a store in Portland, Oregon next month, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Best Buy intends to roll out the Enertia bikes to other store locations on the West Coast following the launch. The motorcycle will retail for $12,000 and be eligible for a 10 percent federal tax credit. The Entertia is 100 percent plug-in electric and has a range of about 45 miles.
Best Buy is also going to sell six Izip e-bikes and two electric scooters from Currie Technologies in the same stores. According to a report last month on the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News website, the Izip bikes will retail from $499 to $2,000.
Another company, Ultra Motor, will also sell some of its e-bikes through the consumer electronics chain.
Currie president Larry Pizzi believes Best Buy is looking to get the jump in a space where bike dealers have yet to rush in. "They see specialty retailers not diving in head first," he told Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
"Their Geek Squad knows how to analyze electronics," said Mr. Pizzi. "Combining all those resources, they felt like they could handle this category."
Ed Benjamin, an e-bike expert, told Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, "Best Buy will have to do a great deal to equip themselves to handle bikes in addition to computers in terms of after-sales service." He added, "Best Buy will have a bit of a struggle with test rides. And I suspect their risk management people have not yet woken up to the dangers of selling products that involve kinetic energy, stored energy, traffic and the American consumer."
Discussion Questions: What do you think about Best Buy's test of electric bikes and motorcycles? Will its early entry into the category give it an advantage over mass retailers as well as bike shops and motorcycle dealers?