Nichegg – How many "top end bikes" do you think are sold compared to "cycle to work type"?

To most folk £500 is a lot to spend on a bike. The vast majority of the bikes I see are in the £300- 700 range. "high end" is a very small slice of the market and many folk will buy n the net anyway

A bike shop needs a niche / USP but selling high end parts is doomed to failure. You cannot stock enough and you cannot compete with the net

Hmmm, I have effectively just switched my LBS allegiance. Why? Usual LBS isn't open on a sunday, I needed a BB re-taping for a frame I was building, take it into other LBS and after a little begging they did it there and then, for free, whilst being quite busy. (I did offer to pay as well)

Whilst that may seem poor business to the others that have posted – I will now be going there for the day to day bits and bobs I need and the stuff I can't repair myself, and my next c2w bike. I also found out they offer 10% off retail to my employer and will fit things purchased there for free. So my next headset will be coming from there to…

Don't do things like charge me £10 for having a dirty bike, or if you going to do that, then actually clean it….rather than it being a fine!

Other stuff – try to create a community feel, night rides, maybe offer to organise trips to morzine etc..

I also really like the Drop-off cafe at afan. Having something like that near me, (with an adjourning bike shop) would be fantastic

TJ – Sorry, that was my point. Top end stuff doesn't pay the bills. I understand why he's doing it.

From my point of view it's easy: price

He has to compete with internet companies to get me through the door. I don't care for cakes and tea (although the aforementioned rifle range might help) I'm going there to buy bike bits. I want to do that as cheaply as possible.

If I use a bike shop over the interweb it's somewhere that will price match CRC or others e.g. cyclesurgery

http://www.startingabiz.com/starting-a-bike-shop/

http://nbda.com/articles/bicycle-retailing-books-pg108.htm

late opening.

i have little/no sympathy for a struggling shop that only opens 9-5.

seriously, why do any shops open at 9 and close at 5? i've never understood this.

open from 12noon till 8pm (early closing for evening rides on a wednesday / sunday or something…)

apart from a workshop staffed by properly trained and experinced mechanics, what does it for me are:

a bargain bucket and christmas sales where you can get real bargains you'd never see on the web (customers of Ralphies should know what i mean)

crazily underpriced s/h classic bikes

Gloves, helmets and clothes that are NOT all size Small or XXL. Open & honest in-stock estimates for parts. And cake.

Chilled atmosphere, no problem just browsing, decent unbiased knowledge, shop rides and cake.

All i want is a shop that, within reason, lets you take actual bikes inside. Whilst this takes some space, its the major factor in my shop visiting decision, as i do most travelling on a bike.

Luckily i have this, and pretty much a shop that will get anything that isnt in stock for pretty much trade plus a bit for the till.
As an informed purchaser i know what i want, and id usually buy most things off CRC/Wiggle, and i appreciate my lbs cant stock everything. If theres something he has in i just buy it. If he hasn't, i usually tell him the online price, and providing he makes enough to put something in the till, and an hours wages for him for the hassle of ordering, he'll usually pricematch it or even better, as the money is better in his pocket than not. Inconvenient as usually takes longer to arrive, but im not usually that desperate.

Some may not like this, but im quite open and honest about it, not borrowing tools or expertise off him (usually the other way around), and everyone is a winner. i have bought lots of high-ticket full price items from him, a few full bikes etc, but i think loyalty goes both ways. So regulat customers get looked after.

Edit: looking back at other posts, i have to emphasise that price is not the be all and end all. I normally go for within 10% of online prices as acceptable when you are actually getting aftermarket service and comeback, and happily pay full price if the thing i want is in stock. Just encourages smart shop-stocking, which he's getting the hang of now. 😉

To be fair all this wish list nonsense;

Cup of tea/sofa to sit on/cake and a quick hand job when I come in for a budget inner tube (with, of course, free fitting)…

It misses the point, that’s not running a shop, it’s not even proper service, it’s wasted overheads, the arses that turn up eat your cake and whine about their skipping gears won’t spend real money with you because you’re not CRC/Wiggle/Merlin/etc…

If your mate wants his business to survive he needs to run it like a business, not a yuppie crèche, the larger majority of his bike sales will be local commuters and casual cyclists most likely, not high value niche mongers.
His workshop trade will be basic repairs (again for local casual cyclists), get your pricing on par with other LBS’ for these and make sure turnaround is as quick as possible and he’ll do alright.

Know your market, not cyclists in general, but your local market, what will cyclists in the area want (are there more Roadies/BMXers/MTBers?), it doesn’t matter what people on a forum say, 98% of them live nowhere near your mates shop so the odds of them visiting are pretty low, he needs to get the name around locally, he needs to know what relevant events are on locally so he can get targeted promotion there, some simple ads in the local rags, that sort of thing, sounds a bit basic but it’s not a case of; “Open a bike shop and they will come”, he’s got to promote his business…

There’s no point trying to compete with the interweb traders, and no point laying out the cost of a cabinet full of bling for people to come in get finger prints on the glass, then order it for £30 less from CRC…
Stock some basic Acera, Deore and some XT level parts, because in an emergency most people will opt for whichever of those 3 meets their basic needs and budget, no point having an XTR mech in stock, if the customer is desperate they’ll pay RRP on an XT rather than miss a ride/race, if they aren’t they’ll take Deore as a stop gap till their CRC order arrives, and if they’re only fixing a mates £200 junker they’ll take the Acera…

Be polite, friendly, offer clear advice and information, don’t talk down to customers and they’ll probably come back again… simple really…

i have little/no sympathy for a struggling shop that only opens 9-5.

seriously, why do any shops open at 9 and close at 5? i've never understood this.

open from 12noon till 8pm (early closing for evening rides on a wednesday / sunday or something…)

Their is sense in the late opening to catch people on their way home from work, but the real money is made in the mornings, eg opening before 9 so people can drop off their bikes or commuters on their way to work and pick it up after.

run it like a business, not a yuppie crèche

😆

it doesn’t matter what people on a forum say, 98% of them live nowhere near your mates shop so the odds of them visiting are pretty low

Probably the only thing you should listen in this thread

All i want is a shop that, within reason, lets you take actual bikes inside.

Why ?buy a lock.

Do other shops honestly not let people take bikes in…?

That's odd isn't it?

Do other shops honestly not let people take bikes in…?

Paulson's in Rochdale doesn't let you bring your bike in. I did think it was odd.

Andy

Interestingly I recently asked about buying something (forget what) in my LBS and was told to order it in from CRC, it would be cheaper and probably arrive quicker!!!

I was quite surprised, but then again it's an honest answer

mark, mine does, but then we usually have lunch there too

stock the stuff that needs to be tried on. Things like shoes, knee pads, helmets etc. Choice too please

Do other shops honestly not let people take bikes in…?
That's odd isn't it? There's plenty of people out there happy to lean a metal bar end cap against a high end top tube….. Factor in a family with a push chair, a sales guy selling a bike off display and somebody collecting a repair and chaos ensues in a small shop..

seriously, why do any shops open at 9 and close at 5? i've never understood this.

This is a throwback to a time when everyone lived and worked in the same town, the men went to work and the woman did the house-keeping and shopping. Basically it's a totally out-of-date business model and is one of the reasons shops are failing whilst the big superstores – who are open at times to suit all – are prospering. I'd love to shop in my local butchers/bakers/candlestick makers but it's far more convenient to pop into Tesco on the way home from work. The sooner smaller independent shops – like LBS's – realise that the better.

so in other words you all want the moon on a stick

and comfy knackered old armchairs and sofas and a big old TV showing bike and skate vids.. free tea/coffee.. a big fridge for beer and cakes… (bring yer own).. piles of magazines dating back to prehistoric times..
female groupies lounging seductively.. nice bit of graf on the walls… dartboard.. fookin loud phat bassy beats.. shits.. giggles and a friendly welcome for all..
next?

I don't believe the convenience argument for supermarkets really holds up. They're convenient in that they open long hours and have a car park, but almost everything else is run for the supermarket's convenience.

If I want something from Tesco, I have to drive there and park up, wander around a few acres of shop and then drive back. I'd be lucky to do it in much under an hour, even when I go with a specific item in mind. That's pretty much been the case for me wherever I've lived – cities, towns and relatively rural places – supermarkets do a lot of GIS (geographical computer wizardry) work, and I suspect they know what travelling times people will put up with, then make a trade off against economies of scale.

Somewhere that's actually local has the potential to be hugely convenient for their customers – little to no travelling time and no 5 acre shop to wander through.

That may be the case for you Tron, but I'm sure I'm not alone in finding supermarkets more convenient.

{EDIT}

They're convenient in that they open long hours and have a car park

that's exactly the point

If I want to shop locally it's a specific journey and a lunchtime rush in my working day, as opposed to absolutely no inconvenience at all to stop at that big Tesco I drive past from doing something else. I don't have to walk from one shop to another to another to buy my meat, veg, bread, booze etc. I fill my trolley, pay, then fill my boot.

The only bike shop I have that is convenient walking/biking distance is Halfords. Bike shops that close late suit me perfectly because I can pop in from work (a la Tesco). Props to the Bike Factory in Whaley Bridge. Not remotely convenient for me to "pop in" but it opens late on Thursday and Friday so I can drop my bike in on the way back from work.

if it's near some trails, a free bike wash (ie, a hose) would go down a treat.

if there's not enough room for everyone's bikes inside, an ability to lock them outside – ie locks the staff can use to lock your bike up, if you're popping in..

To be fair all this wish list nonsense… blah blah blah.. patronising tirade… etc etc etc

would anyone REALLY be stupid enough to go into business without taking your points into consideration..!?

yunki – Member

To be fair all this wish list nonsense… blah blah blah.. patronising tirade… etc etc etc

would anyone REALLY be stupid enough to go into business without taking your points into consideration..!?

Probably, there's an awful lot of stupid people about…

I’m sure the OP’s mate isn’t one of them, but where’s the harm in being realistic (or indeed pessimistic)? I wish him the best of luck, but I’m not going lie either.
Opening a Bike shop in the middle of a Global recession will not be a giggle, it’ll be a slog. He needs to be intelligent, hard working, resourceful and probably have a very good sense of humour if he wants it to be a success…

A dog – every bike shop needs a nutty dog…

We've just opened a new shop a few weeks ago…..

Could mentioned loads of pointers….but, a key one is certainly the opening hours!!

keep them flexible and market driven from day 1!!

Glynn what bike shop is it your talking about?

Forget the coffee, any shop that stocks Hayes brake components as standard will make a fortune!!!