Showroom for e-scooters and e-bikes opens this month

Leeds-based online business, Manfirth, Yorkshire’s largest seller of e-bikes and e-scooters, opens its new store and showroom on Monday 30 November.

Manfirth launched during the first national lockdown. It is the brainchild of partners Natalie Firth, owner of Just The Fox Consultancy and Will Pugh, owner of Hessian bar and restaurant located in Oakwood.

Pugh said: “Our ambition is to be the largest e-bike and e-scooter retailer in the North of England.

“To date, all our sales have been online, so opening the store is a huge achievement and milestone for us.”

When the country went first went into lockdown, he and Firth realised they needed a plan B if they were to survive the devastating impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry.

They looked for opportunities outside the hospitality industry, which is how Manfirth was born.

Pugh said: “After seeing a growing trend on Instagram and as a fan of ‘boys toys’ we quickly saw a gap in the market for e-scooters aimed at the 20 to 30 male.

“Within weeks of launching online, the response was phenomenal, and within three months, we were selling £120,000 worth of e-bikes and e-scooters from a lock-up.”

The Manfirth Electric showroom, located in Holbeck, will not only be the largest e-scooter showroom in the North of England it will also offer a full range of retail, repair and servicing facilities.

The store will stock a wide range of e-bikes, e-scooters and accessories from leading manufacturers as well as its own brand – The Firth Ion e-bike and The Firth eco e-scooter. Customers will be able to test drive the product before they buy.

Manfirth’s store opening also coincides with Department for Transport (DfT) consultations to fast-track trials of e-scooters in towns across the UK.

In response to Covid-19 and the need to introduce transport alternatives to public transport and private cars, the DfT is inviting applications from any town across Britain to operate e-scooter trials over the next 12 months.

Firth said: “Forecasts indicate that the demand for e-bikes and e-scooters is definitely on the up and on a lot of people’s Christmas shopping lists this year.”

She added she and Pugh hope their store will be a success. If all goes according to plan the pair intend to roll out their venture across the UK.