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1. FunkyDunc - Member

   My LBS has a web site and a walk in shop.

   Last night I was looking at buying a bottle and a bottle cage. So tried CRC website which came to £10.80.

   Then thought, no I should try the LBS so logged on to their site. Same thing came out a few pence cheaper, but it said online price. So rang the shop, said I had just seen what I wanted online, did they have sais stock in the shop. The response was 'yes we do but it will be more exepnsive than the web price, we run the businesses separately, and the shop has higher overheads.

   I couldn't beleive it. The guy was basically saying that if I walk in to the shop he will charge me more. Do they not think it makes sense to sacrifice a few pence so that I would actually go in to the store, where I would see all the other stuff they sell and maybe purchase some thing else?

   Instead I just went to CRC paid a few pence more, and the bits will get delivered litteraly to my desk at work, saving me a journey to the LBS.

   Makes me wonder how LBS's survive !

   Posted 4 months ago #
2. nickf - Member

   Yep, madness when you see this sort of thing. That said, I've seen it the other way, where the LBS has told me to come in and they'll beat their on-line price by a few quid and I don't need to pay postage.

   Inevitably I buy something else in there, even if it's just some lube, a chain, or some gloves.

   Posted 4 months ago #
3. Simon - Member

   Was it a shop in Saltaire by any chance?

   Posted 4 months ago #
4. FunkyDunc - Member

   Yes indeed it was....

   I used to love the shop when it used to up the road and would travel to go there. Now its on my door step I find myself using it less and less, and stuff like this makes it less likely!

   Shame really because the guy who runs the 'two' businesses is a good bloke who works bloody hard.

   Posted 4 months ago #
5. Drac - Moderator

   Tescos, Curry's, PCWorld and many other big companies do this.

   Posted 4 months ago #
6. Ewan - Member

   Curry's, PCWorld, will normally offer the web price if you ask them to in my experience. They're quite open to negotiation I find...

   Posted 4 months ago #
7. muggomagic - Member

   If it was cheaper why didn't you buy it using the LBS online service?

   Posted 4 months ago #
8. FunkyDunc - Member

   "Tescos, Curry's, PCWorld and many other big companies do this."

   Yep I did it with Tesco's last week, ordered some thing on line, picked it up from the shop for free.

   Perhaps thats where the business model is going wrong. The bits came to say £10.50 postage would have been £3.50 for all of litteraly posting it about 1 mile away making CRC much cheaper.

   So why dont they offer pick up in LBS for free, then like Tesco's etc they are getting foot fall, and then you might buy other stuff, or at least they can try and start building some form of rapport with a perspective customer.

   Posted 4 months ago #
9. Drac - Moderator

   So why dont they offer pick up in store for free, then like Tesco's etc they are getting foot fall, and then you might buy other stuff.

   I don't know, did you ask them or suggest it?

   It's plausible that they are completely different business so keep everything separate.

   Posted 4 months ago #
10. mangoridebike - Member

    i agree it sounds crazy, but why not buy the stuff from the online section of the lbs website? same price as crc and your still supporting the local business.

    Posted 4 months ago #
11. FunkyDunc - Member

    The guy on the phone said it is run as 2 separate businesses, but why does that matter to me as a customer?

    Both businesses are branded the same, in fact their website suggests you visit their store....

    Mang - As I have said above, by the time you add P&P to their online price, they become more expensive than others.

    Posted 4 months ago #
12. redthunder - Member

    I've yet to come across a decent LBS

    Posted 4 months ago #
13. bazzer - Member

    So why dont they offer pick up in LBS for free, then like Tesco's etc they are getting foot fall, and then you might buy other stuff, or at least they can try and start building some form of rapport with a perspective customer.

    My guess would have to be they are not bright enough to see that it might be a good thing to get people through the door.

    Posted 4 months ago #
14. totalshell - Member

    i dont know the business you refer to but it is a model of which i have some experience having worked briefly as a buyer for one of the named businesses above.
    some manufacturers will not allow thier product to be sold instore below a price however the product may be available from other sources and available for sale at any price. the issue here is availability and reliability of supply.
    if we wanted to stock a full range with full backup there was only one place to obtain that ( through the manufacturer or importer) however we could often offer a limited number of a limited range of the products via a third party ( usually overseas) where the retail price was often considerably less than the 'norm'.
    this clearly drove high value sales but delivered very low margin. it was an excellent tool for driving market share and sales value but the reward was limited and thus endangered profitability.

    clearly the saltaire business is doing the 'right' thing. retailing a full range at the best price possible whilst offering a limited on line business. in doing so maximising sales values and margin.

    Ironically the business i was involved in started its 'direct' business in the same mill in saltaire..

    Posted 4 months ago #
15. Taff - Member

    I've had that with Cycle World in Portsmouth. Either I will buy locally from Wiggle [still supporting the LBS of sorts] or I go to Cycle surgery for Price Matching or I go to Velocity and get awesome customer services.

    Posted 4 months ago #
16. ncfenwick - Member

    I've had this at All Terrain before, its frustrating when you know its cheaper if you are willing to wait a few days but want to buy something to use straight away.

    Perhaps they should change the web site name to All-Terrain Direct or the shop name to All Terrain Express?

    Posted 4 months ago #
17. richmtb - Member

    Buy it online and get it delivered to the shop. You get the web price and get to visit the bike shop and sniff the tyres too.

    A win / win

    Posted 4 months ago #
18. wrecker - Member

    How would they feel if you tried on some shoes in their shop then bought from their website?

    Posted 4 months ago #
19. hora - Member

    If you offer two different prices, in my opinion you have to have two different brand names to differentiate. Otherwise its disingenuous to a customer.

    Especially if the same staff pick and pack the items (and/or are based at the same premises).

    Posted 4 months ago #
20. el Gato Negro - Member

    Dunc

    I have just had the same conversation with that shop.

    Annoying, because I could order online and nip down collect avoiding courier charges.

    At least they would've got a sale

    Posted 4 months ago #
21. gwaelod - Member

    I saw my LBS owner shopping in Tesco

    Posted 4 months ago #
22. Simon - Member

    The guy on the phone said it is run as 2 separate businesses

    
    This is what I was told too.

    Couple of years ago they had Giro Hex helmets at £35 plus P&P in the web shop. I went into the bricks and mortar shop to try one on, they were on sale at RRP which was around £50 iirc. I asked if they could do it there and then for somewhere near the web price but I was told it was two separate businesses. So I go home and order helmet online and it is delivered to me. I live 2 miles from the shop!
    Fast forward a few months retention band in helmet comes away, ring shop explain situation, they say return to them. I say I'm only down the road they say just bring into the shop. They then swap it for a new helmet from on display in the shop Confusing.

    Don't bother with any of my LBSs anymore, online shopping all the way for me. If I need a workshop job doing that I can't do I'll travel to a not so LBS over the hill.

    Posted 4 months ago #
23. catflees - Member

    redthunder - Member
    I've yet to come across a decent LBS
    POSTED 5 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

    69 cycles in Chester are fantastic.

    Posted 4 months ago #
24. bikewhisperer - Member

    I've ordered SRAM casettes from CRC and had them delivered to my work.. The LBS! Sometimes considerably cheaper than trade plus VAT. It was partially to wind my boss up though!

    Posted 4 months ago #
25. Sandwich - Member

    I've yet to come across a decent LBS

    LifecycleUK in Bildeston round these parts are good. Ordered boots Saturday, picked up at lunchtime today and a reasonable price. (Not as cheap as CRC but quicker delivery if you factor in the collect from depot needed).

    Posted 4 months ago #
26. bm0p700f - Member

    I have been thinking about a webshop for my shop and the idea of a web price and a shop price is aborant to me. However there are many distributors who do not care how much you sell for, they say they encourage sale at trade price.RJ Chickens who distribute Tifossi bikes for instance (which I stock) do not control how those are sold. One shop is selling on ebay, others are selling well below list so I have to follow. I do not agree with two prices, I see the website if it ever gets going as supporting the shop not as a seperate business.

    Posted 4 months ago #
27. stevewhyte - Member

    It baffles me why people dont understand that the LBS has to make money, its not in business to give out freebies.

    If you dont like it then dont use them and wait for it to close down, then come on here and greet about not having a LBS!!

    My LBS is important to me, so wherever possible i use them.

    Posted 4 months ago #
28. onceinalifetime - Member

    QUOTE - Was it a shop in Saltaire by any chance?

    What's with the secrecy on this forum ffs, just name and shame, it may not be a typical name and shame game but still.

    Posted 4 months ago #
29. cakefacesmallblock - Member

    My missus bought a set of pans from Sainsbury's, online, the other day, for collection at our local branch.
    They cost £26 less than from the shelf at the same store.
    24 hrs after ordering she had the email to say we could collect. The box was wrapped at the store and obviously arrived from a warehouse earlier that day.
    We got them home and one was damaged.
    I went back to the shop and they just replaced it with one from the shelf !

    Posted 4 months ago #
30. ketchup - Member

    So why dont they offer pick up in store for free, then like Tesco's etc they are getting foot fall, and then you might buy other stuff.

    
    This could be down to how often they get deliveries in and how big these deliveries are. A big store like Tesco's or any other big supermarket will be getting large lorry loads delivered each night where as a small local bike store might only be getting small deliveries every couple of days. The extra cost to Tesco's offering to get your order delivered to your local store for you to collect is going to be next to nothing where as it might be a significant additional cost to your LBS.

    Posted 4 months ago #
31. JoeG - Member

    Performance Bicycle is a large bike store chain in the US and they also sell online. The online price is usually much lower than the in-store price.

    Posted 4 months ago #
32. M6TTF - Member

    Halfords is the same. Wanted something that was cheaper online, asked the guy to match it but said he couldn't. So I got my phone out, bought it online and ticked the pick up locally option then took it away. Madness

    Posted 4 months ago #
33. takisawa2 - Member

    I'm building some wheels at the moment. Shopping for spokes & thought I'd try the LBS...£1.00 each...!!!
    Rose bikes do them for less than half that.
    And these are std sizes, not some odd lengths.
    I always try to support the LBS where I can, but you have to draw the line somewhere. I was looking at nearly £70 on spokes...!!!

    Not bike related, but some years ago my mate wanted a camera. Jessops said they would honour the (genuine) online price he'd found if he printed the page out. So into Jessops he goes, with printout & cash. Chap then tells him camera is in stock, & even shows it to him. He then tells him he has to pay for it, but go back to collect the camera next day, as the online deal he found was including next day delivery.

    Needless to say my mate had a parcel delivery next day, & Jessops till finished the day £200 lighter.

    Posted 4 months ago #
34. Pieface - Member

    for the sake of a few pence or a pound why not just buy from the LBS?

    Posted 4 months ago #
35. weeksy - Member

    Pieface - Member

    for the sake of a few pence or a pound why not just buy from the LBS?

    BEcause it's not always a few pence or a pound...

    Posted 4 months ago #

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