San Francisco Opening Marks PickUps Plus' Latest Nationwide Franchise; SUV and Truck Accessories Franchiser's Growth Spurred by Unconsolidated, $30+ Billion Market
12 December 2000
San Francisco Opening Marks PickUps Plus' Latest Nationwide Franchise; SUV and Truck Accessories Franchiser's Growth Spurred by Unconsolidated, $30+ Billion Market
MASON, Ohio--Dec. 12, 2000--Pickups Plus, Inc. (OTCBB:PUPS), a leading retailer of truck and SUV accessories, announced today that it has entered the California market with the opening of its latest nationwide franchise in San Francisco.The San Francisco franchise has been met with a strong public response, opening to a highest traffic and revenues of any company or franchise store to date.
Pickups Plus has been expanding under its aggressive franchise plan, seeking new locations with high potential nationwide. Currently, Pickups Plus owns and operates three corporate stores, while overseeing seven franchise locations. These stores are located in eight states around the country.
"Entering California gives us access to one of the most lucrative geographic market areas for the products we sell," says John Fitzgerald, President of Pickups Plus. "We are being recognized as one of the premier retailers in the still growing $30 plus billion SUVs and light trucks accessories market. The thing that will really set us apart from our competition is that we're not your run-of-the-mill, greasy auto parts store. We offer top of the line automotive accessories in a clean, pleasant retail environment that attracts increasingly upscale families and individual truck and SUV owners. We intend to be the one stop shop in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley for everyone who is looking for good quality, brand name aftermarket products for their vehicles."
Pickups Plus company stores posted strong sales for the month of October compared with 1999 figures for the same time period. The Sharonville, Ohio and Florence Kentucky stores posted increases, while the Muncie store showed the strongest growth for October at 19%.
"Our latest 4,000 sq. foot store in San Francisco has opened to the strongest showing yet for a Pickups Plus location in both revenues and overall traffic. The state of the art, and customer friendly location is specifically designed to cater to the needs of the regions high-profile clientele, as well as the vast amounts of consumer needs and demands to personalize and customize their vehicles so they don't look just like everyone else's. In addition, we just recently become a certified distributor of the popular Leer brand of truck caps and lids, giving our consumers even more top quality products to choose from," adds Fitzgerald.
Pickups Plus sells all major brands of popular pick-up and SUV accessories in its store and on its extensive Web site at www.pickupsplus.com. It features quality name brands such as Westin, DeeZee, Lund, GTS and Deflecta-Shield and hundreds of other manufacturers to match every make and model of vehicles from General Motors , Dodge/Jeep , Ford and all leading imports. PickUps Plus also installs almost everything it sells, onsite.
Year to date, trucks have represented 52.6% of total North American passenger automotive production. In addition, four out of the five top selling vehicles in the U.S. are trucks or SUVs as well. PickUps Plus knows that every one of these truck owners is another potential customer for their stores or e-commerce site (www.pickupsplus.com), where online shoppers can choose from tens of thousands of after market automotive parts and accessories.
About PickUps Plus
Founded in 1993, Pickups Plus is a leading national franchiser of retail stores dedicated to the sale and installation of quality aftermarket accessories for pickup trucks and SUVs -- a $30+ billion a year market. Pickups Plus currently operates three corporate retail stores and has another seven franchise stores, throughout eight states. After several years of extensive development and testing of its franchise system, the company is gearing up to start a nationwide expansion to be first-to-market in its growing, but highly fragmented industry made up almost entirely of small, independent, non-branded shops.
Fast, professional installation, the most knowledgeable people in the business, and attention to detail make Pickups Plus the first stop for people looking for quality truck and SUV accessories. Pickups Plus owners and employees are trained in factory recommended installation procedures and know the accessories that match every vehicle they service. The company's franchise program appeals to the growing number of truck and SUV enthusiasts and professionals that already sell and install bedliners, ladder racks, bug guards, painted visors, floor mats, off road equipment and an ever-expanding line of after-market accessories.
This news release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which can cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are contained in the Company's reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission available via Edgar.