More on etnies/Blackout Distribution BMX partnership

I followed up on some recent news that Sole Technology has partnered with Blackout Distribution, which will now distribute BMX footwear and apparel for Sole Technology’s etnies brand.

Blackout is a national distributor of BMX products.

Aaron Vujicic, etnies’ domestic sales manager, answered some questions for me about the new relationship.

Who handled BMX distribution before?

Until now the etnies sales reps in the United States handled etnies BMX sales. Blackout Distribution offers an expertise in sales to bike shops, which will be a great addition to the etnies sales team.

What functions will Blackout handle and what functions will Sole Tech handle?

As a distributor selling direct to bike shops in the United States, Blackout Distribution will warehouse, sell and ship the product directly to their accounts. They will be instrumental in educating their retailers about the importance of BMX specific footwear.

etnies will be providing all branding related assets and content to ensure we are sending a consistent message to the end consumer. As a leader in creating footwear for BMX riders, we want to do everything we can for the BMX community.

Is this a new distribution channel for etnies? Did the etnies reps go after this channel before?

No, this isn’t new distribution. Before our partnership with Blackout, etnies’ reps handled it and will continue to service their existing BMX accounts. Blackout will handle incremental opportunities in the U.S., which we feel is an opportunity for growth and increased exposure for our BMX constructed footwear.