Online Marketer Tries the Brick and Mortar Life

Aerostitch, which makes fabric riding suits and other gear, set up an exhibition center in San Francisco for a 10-day period to showcase products and motorcycle gear. This was the first time the company has given customers a chance to see its gear before purchasing. The concept worked so well, a second exhibition center was set up for 10 days in Seattle.

The oldest ideas in marketing are the best.

Aerostitch, which makes fabric riding suits and other gear, set up an exhibition center in San Francisco for a 10-day period to showcase products and motorcycle gear. This was the first time the company has given customers a chance to see its gear before purchasing. The concept worked so well, a second exhibition center was set up for 10 days in Seattle.

"We are doing this pop-up store as an experiment," explained Mark Blohowiak, president of Aerostich. "We are trying to reach customers in different ways."

Andy Goldfine, the founder of Aerostich, points out that a brick and mortar shop has many advantages. "Garments need to be touched and felt. Customers have an opportunity to try rider’s gear on and understand the quality and features of these items."

He suggests that motorcycle dealers should take advantage of physical locations, and add value to what they sell. Customers want to interact with salespeople who share their interests and who can make helpful suggestions.

"This is marketing," says Blohowiak. "We feel customers value intimacy, and want to connect with other riders. This is one way of providing this opportunity."

Having come tantalizingly close on a number of occasions this year, Team Honda HRC finally completed an AMA Supercross win sweep at Round 10 in Detroit, with Chase Sexton topping the premier division and Hunter Lawrence ruling the 250SX East Region category.

To earn his premier-class main-event win, Sexton had to pass some of the class’s top riders. Following an eighth-place start, he quickly moved up a spot, then passed Ken Roczen for sixth on Lap 2. He displaced Adam Cianciarulo for fifth two laps later, moved around Eli Tomac on Lap 8 and got Cooper Webb for third on Lap 10. One lap later, he came out on top of a scrap with Justin Barcia to assume second place, and he set out after Aaron Plessinger, who had a lead of over eight seconds. Sexton shrunk the gap to as low as 3.5 seconds before Plessinger crashed two laps from the end, helping the CRF450R to take the win.