The RAIDA store in Blankenberge - originally one of the first Cool Electro Cycles stores since May 1, 2015 - was completely renovated in January 2024 and transformed into a full-fledged RAIDA experience store .
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the official reopening of RAIDA Blankenberge took place in the presence of Mayor Björn Prasse. Mayor Prasse indicated that he was impressed by the RAIDA story and that he was excited that one of the first RAIDA stores originally started in Blankenberge. He was still an alderman when it was founded, but now he was proud to be able to stand here as mayor in this modern, stylish shop.
Thorough renovation was necessary
Those present were able to discover the new look of the store while something tasty and a drink were offered. The most common response was: “What a beautiful, spacious store. The large photos on the wall give the whole thing an attractive view.”
Cedric de Kerchove, CEO of RAIDA : “Our store in Blankenberge had become too small over the years and needed a thorough renovation. Thanks to the cooperation of a number of our employees and the good preparation of the RAIDA Blankenberge staff, we were able to carry out these works in a few months and we are ready for the new season. This allows us to increase the customer's experience in the store. They can view and select their ideal bicycle in a pleasant setting with interaction between the showroom and workshop. Like restaurants with an open kitchen, we work with an open studio.”
The well-known Family, Friends & Fools
Christophe Cool, current CFO of RAIDA, thanked many people who were involved from the beginning, the infamous Family, Friends & Fools .
Even Blankenberge's very first customer was present and was honored. The customer proudly said: “And I came with my bicycle, still the one I bought 9 years ago. There are 28,000 km on the odometer.” Christophe responded with a laugh: “You see, we make the e-bikes way too good.”
The team of shop Blankenberge was put in the spotlight : Billy Dannaut as shop manager who is the successor to Wim Tavernier who grew as Event Organizer, Ben Janssens as ebike advisor and specialist and Christian Paulus as chief technician, the RAIDA employee with the greatest track record. employ.
RAIDA as one of the Big Five in Belgium
Christophe then gave a nice overview of the growth story of the past 9 years . “We are now one of the Big Five in Belgium , with 13 shops from Ostend to Uccle . But that was anything but the idea we started with in the beginning in 2015. My brother Nicolas manned the store in Torhout and I worked in Blankenberge. We hoped to sell 100 electric bicycles that year. Some bicycle manufacturers initially had difficulty going along with our unique concept. They did not believe that a shop could make a living selling and repairing only electric bicycles. They turned out to be wrong: we currently sell 4,000 bicycles per year, of which 1,000 are speed pedelecs. This means 60,000 services . The largest share of bicycles sold are electric. In the past, the image was that electric bicycles were for 'old and lazy people', but nowadays it is a must for commuting and leisure.”
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