The Hindu Business Line : Bajaj baits youth with concept store

TECHIES, yuppies and BPO staffers in Pune are these-days hanging out at a place that is distinctly different from their usual pubs and lounge bars. No, not another new-age entertainment centre but Bajaj Auto's brand new retail concept for premium two-wheelers — the Bajaj Probiking Station!

Over a thousand youngsters, largely from the IT and BPO sectors, have been swarming the company's first `Probiking station' at a high-street location in the city's Bund Garden area.

Says K. Srinivas, Bajaj Auto's General Manager, HRD, in charge of the retail venture, "We have already sold 150 bikes within a month, purely on word-of-mouth publicity and without even having officially launched the concept store."

The interest in the motorcycle showroom is not surprising considering that the company seems to know the pulse of generation Z and talks their lingo.

Customers walking into the hi-tech Probiking Station are not welcomed by over-enthusiastic dealership assistants, finance executives or accessories salesmen breathing down their necks or pushing to wrap up a deal. Instead, visitors are free to hang around simply watching what is going on at the store.

"On an average, people spend over an hour going through the parts display, working on the interactive computer terminals and riding the bikes on the dynamometer... Most of them want to check out the top speed — almost impossible to do in normal road tests," says Srinivas. "They are pretty tech savvy and really appreciate that our staff is able to talk their language."

The Bajaj Probiking store at Pune is the pilot for a retailing venture by the company, which is restructuring its dealership network.

The concept store - the brainchild of the Managing Director, Mr Rajiv Bajaj - will showcase the company's premium products. It will also open up a new revenue stream for the company. However, say company officials, what is important is the direct interface with the customer, against the traditional middlemen in the form of dealers.

"There is no hard-sell in the showroom, by and large customers explore on their own, our staff stepping in only when they need help. The focus is on the product and customers are able to understand, experience and buy - in that order," says Srinivas. Of the 150 vehicles sold last month, the Avenger models accounted for 70 per cent, while the remaining was from Pulsar 180.

The company is making an initial investment of around Rs 20 crore (excluding property prices) for the first phase of the roll-out in cities such as Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. "By the end of the fiscal, we plan to have ten broking stores," says Srinivas.

Meanwhile, the Pune store will be formally inaugurated at the onset of the festive season this week-end.

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