08 Mar DAHON China Distributor Conference Wraps in Dongguan

March 7 2017, Dongguan, China – Distributors, dealers and partners from around China gathered for DAHON’s annual Chinese distributor conference (DCDC). Guests were treated to exclusive looks at new products and technology for the Chinese market, as well as insights from the DAHON Team.

2017 marks a historic year for DAHON, making 35 years since the company’s founding in California in 1982. The company has gone from strength to strength over the years to become the world leader in folding bikes. The 35th year promises to be full of surprises, which will be revealed over the course of the season.

The theme for this year’s conference was “new thinking new retail”, with CEO and founder Dr David Hon explaining that in spite of DAHON’ great success in the Chinese market, it is always necessary to actively change, to pursue new business approaches to the challenges and adverse situations of the consumer market. This thinking is not only reflected in new business strategies and new product technology, but also applies to the use of new business ideas to speed up technology research and development and lead times, opening up a broader market.

DAHON’s Deputy General Manager, Joan Hu, gave a presentation on the relationship between the macroeconomic environment and micro-commerce. She expanded on the relationship between the macroeconomic impact on the consumer spending in relation to bicycle consumption. The correlation is not a simple matter, with environment, convenience, leisure factor and other variables all coming into play.

DAHON Vice President Mr Tadihiro Kodama gave a seminar for dealers and distributors on business philosophy, focusing in particular on successful tactics from the Japanese market. 2016 sales figures for DAHON in Japan surpassed 20,000 bikes, up over 100% from the past 3 years. A long-time friend of Dr David Hon, Mr Kodama has an impressive 50 years of experience in the bicycle industry and was Director of Bridgestone’s bicycle division for nearly 10 years.

DAHON China’s Marketing Director Mr Kang Jian introduced the O2O (online to offline) business program. DAHON was one of the first bicycle brands to establish a flagship store on Chinese online shopping platform Tmall. Having performed well online, the platform will expand to offer bricks and mortar revenue streams. DAHON’s goal for 2017 is to open more than 150 O2O stores in China. Not only that but plans are already underway to launch a WeChat ordering system, WeChat coupons, WeChat membership card system and WeChat membership group, to maximize on the whole range of potential.

As the conference continued, DAHON’s Director of Sales Channels summed up the 2016 market performance for the Chinese market and presented the new policies for 2017. Included in his forecast was an optimistic attitude towards the current shared bicycle boom, stating that although the increase in shared bicycle use will erode the commuter bike market, it actually drives more people to ride and can greatly expand the market capacity, so is therefore conducive to the long-term development of the market.

Technical Director Mr Liu Mingbo unveiled the DAHON China 2017 range, including six major innovative technologies. During the meeting, DAHON exhibited 23 new products, incorporating a combined 300+ patents into their design. Under the leadership of Dr David Hon, the R&D team plans to develop eight patented products each year, ensuring the DAHON range is as advanced and relevant as ever, year on year.
Towards the end of the presentations, Sales Logistics Division Manager Mr Huo Min explained technical upgrades to DAHON China’s ordering system, which will help to improve delivery efficiency and further enhance customer satisfaction. Finally, Head of the Marketing Department, Ms Hai Peng expanded on strategies and trends in WeChat, including customer experience, membership cards, coupons and other systems, all with the focus on enhancing consumer loyalty among DAHON’s target market.

Among the lineup the bikes included: the Dove i3 with Shimano 3 speed hub gear, the Clinch high-end road bike with concealed LockJaw hinges and built in DaTool, the EEZZ vertical folding bike with hydroformed frame and concealed latch, four electric folding bicycles, and firm favorites such as the Speed and Jetstream. New technology, among others, included the Deltech safety enhancing cable which will be included on a selection of Chinese models. The attachment increases the frame strength almost 10 times, for increased performance and durability.

The gathering concluded on a high with top performers and outstanding dealers taking home rewards for their contribution to another great year and future for DAHON folding bikes in China.