Rookfy, a bicycle-rental platform in Spain, enjoyed a satisfactory debut last year, according to chief technology officer Santiago Alonso, who spoke with CMDsport. The young company has recently added the retailer Escapa to its marketplace and joined the Spanish Association of Brands and Bicycles (Ambe).
In an interview with Joanseguidor.com, CEO Jesús Orihuela described the business as the rental of bicycles from professional shops with full insurance coverage included in the price. Rookfy has “two distinct sides”: Bike shops and bike users of various levels – amateurs, pros, clubs, federations, etc. “What we offer the shops is a safe way to rent their bikes, offering their customers a new service and thereby broadening their value proposition.”
In the same interview, Alonso noted that inventories are running high at the moment because of the 2021-22 hike in sales. This is why “offering to increase the value proposition, with more face-to-face services for the customer, is one of the ways to earn loyalty and work through the rough patch. And […] having a bike to rent for a few months before its eventual sale can increase the margin by up to 45 percent.”
Now that its formula has proven to please “bike shops and users alike,” Alonso told CMDsport, “the time has come to sign deals with more and more stores to have more and more bicycles and more and more locations in Spain.” The company is working on a second version of its platform, slated for release in the last four months of this year, and in the next few weeks, will start delivering and collecting rented bicycles.
Over the medium to long term, Alonso expects Rookfy to expand both abroad and into skiing and other snow and mountain ports, as well as golf and pádel.
