https://www.vanmoof.com/blog/en/tv-bike-box EN Language [English ] Search [ ] Categories * VanMoof V * Bike Hunters * Cities & Cycling * Design & Tech * Inside VanMoof * Rider Stories * Back to Basics shop at vanmoof.com Hmm, we can't find what you're looking for... Don't give up! Check the spelling, or try something less specific. Search [ ] Inside VanMoof TV, or not TV: The story of our bike box August 5, 2019 TV, or not TV: The story of our bike box It was a simple idea. But it exploded. In 2015 we began shipping our bikes to the USA. The only problem was that a lot of them were arriving to their new customers damaged. Annoying for them and expensive for us. We couldn't say for certain, but US handlers didn't seem to take as much care as we'd hoped. Vanmoof prides itself on doing everything in-house. From design and production, to sales and support. Leaving delivery to others seemed like a fair deal. But now we had to think of ways to influence that final step. Tougher boxes? Better packaging? Different shipping partners? Nothing worked. Bikes obviously didn't have the kind of priority flat-screen TVs have for example... And that was it. The lightbulb moment. Our co-founder Ties Carlier's simple idea. Our boxes are about the same size as a really big, expensive, flat-screen television. So we put an image of one on every box. We assumed handlers would care a little more about that. And we were right. That small tweak had an outsized impact. Overnight our shipping damages dropped by 70-80%. We sell 80% of our bicycles online, which means we still print TVs on our boxes. More than 60,000 of them have now been shipped directly to our riders worldwide. We didn't tell anyone but the word got out. An irresistibly simple business-hack. A head-smackingly effective "why didn't I think of that" moment that anyone could identify with. It. Kind. Of. Snowballed. Over the years, we've seen other bike companies start to 'borrow' the idea. [bike-box-p] And even now, years later, we're still seeing our boxes inspire. I mean, why wouldn't an ingenious 14-year old spend hours reshaping it into a ship? It's the kind of out there innovation that brought the boxes center-stage in the first place. Just don't call us a smart box company. Our bikes might get a little jealous. [bike-box-b] Image courtesy of Folkert Huysinga Barry Bracken About this author Barry Bracken is a Media & Communications Specialist. He's Irish and has a thing for guitars, bikes, and cheesecake. Share this story * * * Always hear it first Join our newsletter and be the first to hear about our special offers, latest products and all VanMoof related news. [ ] Thanks for subscribing! Please check your inbox for a confirmation message. More like this Move fast to secure your Outlet e-bike for even less: Our limited Outlet Warehouse Sale drops in Utrecht, starting this Saturday Inside VanMoof Move fast to secure your Outlet e-bike for even less: Our limited Outlet Warehouse Sale drops in Utrecht, starting this Saturday read more In conversation with Tobias Fouracre: the Puppet Mastermind behind our latest film Inside VanMoof In conversation with Tobias Fouracre: the Puppet Mastermind behind our latest film read more Learning? It's just like riding a bike. We take a look at how we keep our brains constantly evolving at VanMoof. Inside VanMoof Learning? It's just like riding a bike. We take a look at how we keep our brains constantly evolving at VanMoof. read more The cost of reinventing the wheel, by Taco Carlier. Inside VanMoof The cost of reinventing the wheel, by Taco Carlier. read more Learn more * About * Find a store * FAQ * Careers * Business Lease * Subscription * Become a Certified Workshop Explore * VanMoof S5 * VanMoof A5 * VanMoof S3 * VanMoof X3 * VanMoof V * Test rides * Peace of Mind Sign up for our newsletter [ ] Thanks for subscribing! Please check your inbox for a confirmation message. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement * * *