Australian cycling safety advocate Amy Gillett Foundation (AGF) is one of two national bicycling advocacy organisations to announce the signing of an official commercial partnership with Wiggle in the past week. Fresh off the heels of the AGF media release, Bicycle Network also named the overseas online retail giant as its official online retail partner.
Both moves are a clear indication of the ever-increasing presence of Wiggle and the continuing expansion of overseas online retail into the domestic market.
“We have spent a lot of time in the last six months looking at our current partnerships that we have and understanding the impact the industry might see as a result of the foundation going down this path,” said AGF Fundraising & Sponsorship Manager, David Lee. “The larger online companies currently have an advantage and that’s a reality that we understand. But that is not the space we play in however.”
Wiggle joins Toll, Europcar and Subaru as a current foundation partner. The basis of the AGF commercial arrangement is a three-year deal in which Wiggle will be aligned to certain assets the foundation has including the naming rights and presentation rights to Amy’s Gran Fondo – a 110km sportive fundraising event and UCI World Amateur Road Cycling Championships qualifier.
Another value add-on for the foundation is the development of an integrated at point-of-sale on Wiggle.com.au, which is expected to go live by the end of May and allow consumers the option to donate to the Foundation direct with every purchase.
“This is a direct way of supporting the work we are doing to make the roads a safe place in the Australian market,” said Lee. “It is something that Wiggle is committed to do and is an excellent value add for us and ultimately it is reflective of what the consumer might want to do to support us in a similar way we have in place with Cycling Australia (CA) for those renewing their CA membership.”
AGF’s deal with Wiggle is not an exclusive partnership, and Lee tells BikeRadar that the foundation has been very careful in the process not to alienate the work the foundation is doing with the traditional retailer and that the AGF continues to encourage all retailers to support the work the foundation is doing and get involved in the foundation's events.
“The AGF will continue to promote to cycling consumers who decide to purchase componentry online the importance of regularly having their bike serviced – and any parts purchased through online international retailers like Wiggle are installed – by qualified mechanics to minimise any potential safety risk with the use of their equipment,” he said.
For the AGF, the relationship with Wiggle is a critical commercial opportunity to give the organisation the financial support needed to fulfil its many cycling safety programs, including its new ‘Two-way street’ campaign, as well as its heralded ‘A metre matters’ petition which is currently seeking 20,000 signatures by the end of April to present to the Federal Parliament in May. With the petition, the AGF is calling upon the Australian Government to amend the Australian Road Rules and require that drivers allow a minimum of one metre when overtaking bicycle riders.