For motorcycle enthusiasts, slang phrases describe everything from a type of muffler to a type of accident. One such term passed between riders---'keep the dirty side down and the shiny side up'--has not been lost on
RevZilla, the South Philly biker accessory shop-turned-online vendor. With seven-figure sales numbers and a
Chamber of Commerce Emerging Business of the Year award under their belt, founders Nick Auger, Anthony Bucci and Matt Kull look to take their business to the next level as they expand staff and marketing this winter.
"We were hobbyists, casually into riding and we were a little bit
frustrated with our options buying online from the companies who would become our
biggest competitors. We were also hard-core technology guys, all of the founders had
worked in the web world, and we thought we could bring something to the
motorcycle industry that hadn't been done before," says Bucci. "We aspire to be the Zappos of the motorcycle industry.
Everything is about the customer experience, much less about being
Wal-Mart and more about being like Barney's."
Started out of an apartment, RevZilla eventually expanded to a small store at 4th and Fitzwater before moving to it's current location, a
4000 sq. ft. retail store at 38 Jackson Street in South Philly. But with their technology backgrounds, an expanded web presence seemed a natural fit for the founders, who have added hi-def video, digital buying guides and sleek social networking functionality that they feel sets them apart in a crowded e-commerce marketplace. Now, as they expand, they are hoping to find kindred spirits who can keep up technologically but who also live what they sell.
"We are looking to grow the company and our team to spread the RevZilla brand even further," says Bucci. "But
we
are really looking for people to join the team who love motorcycles, who live and breathe
the sport, just like we do."
Source: Anthony Bucci, RevZilla
Writer: John Steele