Shane Kelly, General Manager of Blackwell and Sons, the only store in NZ to sell Pashley bikes, talks about why the brand is so great.
The quickest sale Greytown man Shane Kelly ever made took about 30 seconds from the moment the customer walked in to the moment he handed over his card.
Not bad for a little store in Wairarapa that sells old-fashioned, "stubbornly British" bicycles for $2000 to $4000 each.
"I had a gentleman from Singapore ... he walked in and saw that bike there on the wall. 'Great, I will take that and everything on it.' He handed over his card and left."
Shane Kelly says Pashley uses Blackwell and Sons as a model for retailers around the world. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
The man asked whether the bike could be shipped to Singapore. Kelly told him it could but the cost of shipping would be almost as much as the cost of the bike.
But the man was not worried about the price, and immediately said he would buy the $1895 bike and the $1000 worth of accessories on it. With shipping factored in, the cost was close to $6000.
"I think the shop has that effect," Kelly said.
The Greytown store is passionately British. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
The store, Blackwell and Sons, is the only retailer in New Zealand that sells Pashley Cycles, and has been recognised by Pashley as its most beautiful store in the world.
Entering the shop is like stepping back in time - the vintage bicycles and smell of leather combine with the wicker baskets and picnic sets to create an atmosphere that fits the brand perfectly.
Pashley uses the store's design and approach as a model when recommending to other retailers stocking the brand around the world.
Owner Adam Blackwell fell in love with Pashley bikes while in England and realised no one in New Zealand was stocking authentic, handcrafted bicycles.
"I have been a huge fan of this shop since Adam opened it," Kelly said. "This is very cool for Greytown, he's done a fantastic job."
Rows of bicycles line the inside of the Greytown store. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
Pashley is England's oldest manufacturer of hand-built bicycles. The company has been operating since 1926, Kelly said.
"I guess what I love about the Pashley brand is that they're stubbornly British. I have the pleasure of not only selling and delivering these bikes, but I also have the pleasure of assembling them."
Someone could buy one of the bicycles and fully expect to be able to hand it down to the next generation in 50 or 60 years, he said.
Kelly also owns an $8000 mountain bike, but said it was no match for his Pashley.
"When you jump on a Pashley, it's like driving a Toyota Corolla and then getting into a Mercedes."
Kelly sells seven to 10 of the bikes every week, and will have people travel from around the country to test them.
He has not yet had anybody test ride one of the bikes who has not eventually come back to buy one.
Blackwell's 17-year-old son, Jack, is also involved in the business, dressing up in tweeds in the summer and cycling around with a freezer attached to the bike so he can sell icecream.
