Mark Smedley, over the last 20 years, has led the sales of premium and exclusive lifestyle brands across multi-channel environments. During his time with Brompton, he’s had the pleasure of developing a truly diverse and international sales team spanning the globe.
His focus has now turned to leading Brompton’s development across Asia, where some of the world’s greatest cities and urban environments exist. NXT caught up with Mark – to find out more about the growth of Brompton and his ambitions.
Brompton has gained a reputation for its high-quality folding bikes. How did the company get started in this market, and what have been some of the keys to your success?
Brompton bicycles were imported and sold in APAC markets through appointed distributors and their network of authorised dealers which specialise in bicycle sales. We took over the importation of Brompton bicycles in some of the APAC markets in 2017 and we opened our first Southeast Asia flagship retail store – Brompton Junction in Singapore in June 2019. Being hand-built in The UK, the high quality of the Brompton bicycle is an important factor that makes the bicycle popular. Most people stay in apartments in cities and its compact folding size makes it convenient to store at home, it is easy to bring it anywhere with you, even on public transport.
Governments in many countries have also recognised the importance of sustainability and going green. They have invested in more cycling paths and improved on last-mile connectivity to transportation nodes. These have helped to make it more convenient to ride in the cities. The compact folding size of a Brompton also makes it easier if you want to bring your bicycle for travel. And cycling allows you to see a city in a different light while on holiday.
We’ve seen significant growth in the popularity of folding bikes in Asia over the past few years. How is Brompton working to tap into this market, and what unique challenges does it present?
Most of the people in Asia live in small apartments in cities with high-density populations. Brompton wants people to rethink how they move in the cities with our bicycles that allow them to move around in the city with freedom – be it exploring their neighbourhood or simply exercising, we want them to feel the joy of riding our bicycles. Brand awareness is not the highest in some cities or countries but we are building a team and strengthening our capabilities in APAC to build brand awareness and better engage with our community.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the cycling industry. What is Brompton doing to reduce its environmental impact, both in terms of production and the use of its bikes?
Sustainability is at the heart of Brompton. We have programmes internally to ensure that we reduce wastage and recycle any parts.
Brompton bikes are known for their unique design, which allows them to be folded into a compact size. Can you talk about the thought process behind this design, and how it has evolved?
It all started with Andrew Ritchie, a young engineer who believed in a better way to move around the city. In 1975 in the bedroom of his flat overlooking the Brompton Oratory, he invented a bike with an ingenious 3-part fold. A vehicle that transformed into a small package and could go anywhere with him. A ‘magic carpet’ for the city. Over the next ten years, Andrew obsessively honed his invention and self-taught bike-building skills from a small, rented workshop in a local engineering company – hand-making every customer bike to order. To this date, the 3-part fold remains unchanged with some slight changes to the design of the main frame. C Line, our original all-steel bike, is our core product. In 2005, we saw the launch of Brompton Superlight (subsequently rebranded as P Line) which is engineered with a lightweight titanium rear frame and forks. In January 2022, we launched our innovative and lightest-ever T Line, titanium bike. We launched the Electric C Line in April 2022 in Singapore. In December 2022, we built our one millionth Brompton bicycle.
Brompton has collaborated with several high-profile brands and designers over the years. How do these collaborations come about, and what benefits do they bring to the company?
Collaboration with brands and designers over the years came about from a genuine connection – believing in making the world a better place; and the desire to expand the dimensions of the brand through creativity and design innovation. It has helped Brompton reach out to new audiences and build brand awareness of Brompton.
Brompton bikes are often seen as a premium product, with prices that can be out of reach for some consumers. How does the company balance the need to maintain its reputation for quality with the need to reach a wider audience?
Quality is always at the heart of Brompton’s manufacturing process across all our product models – from C Line, our original all-steel bicycle, to the top-of-the-range T Line, our ultralight, titanium bicycle. We want our owners to enjoy their rides for as long as they want.
Looking to the future, what are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities that you see for Brompton and the cycling industry as a whole?
We see a lot of potential in APAC and we can unlock opportunities in the region by building brand awareness for Brompton and sharing the benefits of owning a Brompton that help you save space and time. There are still untapped markets in the region that we want to expand in. The cycling trend is here to stay, and more people are choosing to explore the city on bikes even while on a holiday.
