VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND   Patrick Davin managing director of Vmoto LTD visited New Zealand recently. Read more to see his thoughts and photos of their Distributorship.

Written by Patrick Davin MD of Vmoto LTD

After an absence of nearly two years I took the opportunity to visit Vmoto New Zealand last week for a few days. The main purpose was to have a look at the recent developments in the NZ operations and also to bring the NZ crew up to date as to the future of Vmoto now the Nanjing Manufacturing facility is in place. Although a relatively small market for Vmoto it is important for us as it is in our back yard and sales progress there can sometimes be very indicative of how the market looks on a broader level.

The Distributor in NZ is Marc Campbell who is based in his state of the art main dealership in Auckland. Marc uses Auckland as the base for the NZ operations and distributes throughout the country via 8 sub dealers.

In the 3 years Marc has been involved with Vmoto in NZ he has taken the brand from no recognition at all to a strong position in the top 10 motorcycle brands within the country. This has come about through a true dedication to the brand and a lot of hard work. The Auckland HQ is a thoroughly modern facility and has without a doubt raised the bar for the standard of Vmoto Dealerships around the world (photos back this up). It has more the feel of a high end fashion boutique then a scooter dealership and in fact is placed within the most sought after retail district in Auckland, Newmarket a stones throw from some of the worlds leading high end brand premises. The set up is clean, fresh and efficient and has enabled Marc to place the brand as a top end product clearly distinguishable from some of our lower end competitors. This is very gratifying to see as we always saw Vmoto playing this part in the scooter market.

Service and spare parts departments are perfectly laid out and well organised. Plasma screen TV adorn the wall with rolling footage of Vmoto product and to top it all off you can relax in the Vmoto Lounge mezzanine upstairs while your bike is serviced or your pre-delivery is completed. It makes it a pleasure to come in and buy a scooter and be fitted out in the latest and coolest scooter riding safety gear. Who said scooter riders can’t be stylish?

Now a great location and premises is one thing however it takes more then a shop front to achieve the success that Marc has achieved in such a short time. The other big factor is staff and what a crew Marc has put together. Marcs 2ic and General Manager is Symone Robinson or as she is affectionately referred to in Vmoto circles the “Hopper”. Hopper eats breaths and lives the Vmoto brand in NZ. From her friendly personality through to her huge knowledge of the product “Hopper” has become the No 1 Selling Vmoto salesperson in the world at present. Not only has she achieved the greatest number of sales for any individual on a monthly basis she also holds the record for highest individual sales price for 3 different Vmoto models. Not bad in one of the most competitive markets in the world during the biggest economic slow down in the last 75 years!!! Hopper is the employee that every brand dreams of having unfortunately there are not that many to go around. As the GM she has also recently employed Ursula Bach as her protégé who after only few weeks already comes across as a real find with a maturity and understanding of the business well beyond her 21 years. Ursula has a big task also being PA to Marc however with the enthusiasm and training from the two Vmoto lynch pins in Hopper and Marc she is already proving an invaluable part of the team. Last but in no means least comes Gary Walsh the older hand of the group that backs up the sales team with service and spare parts support so that the Vmoto buying experience does not just stop as you walk out the door but carries on as you have years of enjoyment form your Vmoto purchase. This is no grubby bike shop but Scooter Distribution point with a difference that really needs a visit to be fully appreciated.

Marc and his team have my congratulations on what they have achieved to date. One can only wonder where Vmoto NZ can go from here with the New Model range which will become available to them later this year from the new Nanjing facility. Hopefully all of the hard work to date by Marc and his team will see them one day at the top of the scooter market in NZ. They have certainly created the most stylish scooter shop in town and the steady and growing list of buyers for the Vmoto product has them placed firmly on the right path.