Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 145 total)
  • When would u not ask for discount In a bike shop?
  • cycleworlduk
    Free Member

    I’ve had various chats with lbs owners this week and discounting seems endemic within our trade…to the point you feel guilty when u don’t discount kit…I buy stuff at all sorts of places and never feel the need to ask for a deal/discount..why is it exceptable in a bike shop? I know one guy who price Matches but he offers an internet service which is pretty ballsy! ( bike not built etc)

    Sorry this is a moan off the back of a very tough year where we made hardly any money despite our service being the same….

    jedi
    Full Member

    if i go to a bike shop other than my lbs (i get trade tere) i would never ask for discount. i need/want something, thats why i am there

    LabWormy
    Full Member

    I never use to until I learnt that the managed cycle to work schemes charge bike shops 10% for the deal.

    Seems to me that this means there is 10% built into RRP prices to allow for this.

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    ojom
    Free Member

    Seems to me that this means there is 10% built into RRP prices to allow for this.

    tell me you aren’t serious?

    bigbob38
    Free Member

    “discounting seems endemic”

    and has been for years, so just about everyone gets 10%, not a new conversation, it was going on when I managed a bike shop in the late 80’s 😯
    Mind you, if the margins were not able to offer that kind of discount in the first place, would anyone give it??
    The wholesalers also give good discounts if you spend enough, but most owner operated shops will fail to hit any of the levels required..

    So, just look on the bright side – sometimes you sell something for 10% more than you expected 😉

    cycleworlduk
    Free Member

    Nope 10% isnt built in to the margins… (which are going down from some companies) this is why the owners of cycles heme are almost retired!….that was a genius idea. Big turnover almost all profit..

    LabWormy
    Full Member

    Absolutely. I have no retail experiance, but if a managed scheme takes 10% of the price just for a bit of admin, why should a punter not try to get the same removed when they pay up front.

    Two different prices depending on the customer …… that can’t be equitable either.

    spyke85
    Free Member

    This is why Cycle Scheme are pains in the arse!!! They are literally just an admin company!

    cycleworlduk
    Free Member

    We get a few customers from a nearby lbs because he doesnt offer any discounts…I’m hoping it’s not just that but that maybe he’s a bit grumpy.I think he’s probably got the right idea…

    LabWormy
    Full Member

    Don’t disagree, I was flaberghasted (if that is how you spell it) when I learnt how they work. My boss managed our own scheme – not rocket science.

    However, it just adds to the impression of those of us not in the trade that the margin is there to be tampered with.

    [Edit] – Talking about complete bikes with accessories, not bits and bobs.

    stevede
    Free Member

    I don’t ask for discount in either of my lbs’ – i do more often than not get it anyway but i don’t ask for it nor do i expect it. I will if using a shop such as evans ask them to price match as i see a chain like that as fair game for affording that discount.

    Daffy
    Full Member

    Were I to be spending hundreds of pounds on multiple items I might ask if they had any promo gear they could chuck in….never asked for a discount.

    Rickos
    Free Member

    I would only *maybe* ask for something off or, more likely, thrown into the deal if I was buying a bike or shedloads of kit (like hundreds of pounds worth over several items). When I surfed a lot and bought boards and stuff you’d always ask for a block of wax even though it only cost a quid! Became a bit of an in-joke amongst my friends – “Did you get a block o’ wax?”.

    If I’m buying a pair of shorts or a tyre or bars or whatever then I pay the price on the label.

    spyke85
    Free Member

    I think regarding the prices, the bike shop takes the 10% hit, they don’t advertise everything at 10% above otherwise they wouldn’t get the ‘ordinary punter’ off the street

    spyke85
    Free Member

    I did the same when I bought my last board! I wanted wax and a leash!

    jamiew84
    Free Member

    I dont go out my way to ask for it. sometimes they have stuff on their website cheaper than in the shop so i ask for that to price match. I tend to find the more that I spend in my LBS, the more i get in discount. Guess they know that i’ll keep spending my money with them.

    I do sometimes ask for a price match off the web. Generally they do it, or match as close as possible.

    Waderider
    Free Member

    I go to a bike shop were the prices are so reasonable to ask for a discount would cause the shop to go bankrupt 😆

    cycleworlduk
    Free Member

    It’s interesting what folk say…the big Internet boys don’t help.I had a guy at the weekend checking my prices against Crc on his phone. I said”do you want to go for it?” he said ” nah I’ll buy it online” I was just pricing it up…” we were the same price…very odd!

    fourbanger
    Free Member

    I get discount in LBS as a matter of course, but I would certainly ask in other shops if I bought multiple items or something expensive. At the end of the day it’s a financial transaction, the price offered on the tag isn’t set in stone. I think the Brits are generally too proper to ask.

    ton
    Full Member

    i never have and never would ask for discount in a bike shop.

    Andyhilton
    Free Member

    I get discount at my lbs but that’s because I’m a very regular customer and now a friend (go out for curries, drinks etc)

    I wouldn’t ask for one, nor do I expect one.

    cycleworlduk
    Free Member

    ” too proper to ask” come do a week with me and I’ll prove u wrong

    jedi
    Full Member

    no matter how cheap it is online, no matter how long you lean it up against the computer. the computer dont fit it for free 🙂

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    TBH bike stuff is way overpriced anyway for what it is, mostly, so people trying to get a good deal is to be expected. XT level stuff is almost at the same sort of prices XTR was only a couple of years ago, before all the prices suddenly rocketed.

    Bike shops used to be grotty little places packed to the rafters with all sorts of things. Now, they’re all bright shiny showrooms with mega-exotic machines on plinths, and a bunch of mediocre at best clothing selling for designer boutique prices. All part of the supersexy leezure industry, whose bubble, it appears, has burst.

    Cheap bargains for me. I don’t buy owt unless it’s on sale. If I don’t get a good deal one place, there’s loads more where I can. Even if they’re abroad. That’s Capitalism for yer…

    LabWormy
    Full Member

    Serious question for those in the trade then, not trolling …. What differentiates between buying a new bike, buying a new car or buying a new motorbike? You would never pay RRP in the latter two cases.

    It seems a strange northern European habit of selected haggling – 99.9% of people would not do it in M&S and yet 99.9% of people would do it in a car dealers. Are bike shops somewhere in the middle?

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    I wouldn’t ask for ‘discount’ but if a shop offers to price match then I’ll take them up on that.

    In fact I asked my local large chain to price match CRC at the weekend for 2 powerlinks. Which sounds really tight until you realise they’d just rung them up on their computer system and then announced to me that the price was £29.98 😯

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sram/powerlock-chain-connector-ec008055 (I know that’s the 10spd version but they’ve taken the 9-spd off I assume for maintenance)

    [Although to be even handed, it was quickly realised it was an error; the bar code for a single comes up as the price for 4 and although CRC offer 3 packs for £3.99 the manager couldn’t be arsed to faff about with it so gave me the two I wanted F.O.C]

    Anthem-X
    Free Member

    why not ask for a discount, don’t get me wrong if i’m buying a single product then no, but if i’m buying quiet a bit then definitely.

    I work for a distributor in another line of business and the shops do just the same to us!!

    I do understand where your coming from with regards to the e-tailers box shifting, with no service, at low low margins.

    B.A.Nana
    Free Member

    If I’m buying a few items from a mtb specialist with a reasonable total (£100+), I’ll usually ask if they give a discount to local trailbuilders (I have a SingletrAction membership and dig locally). If it’s one low value item, I won’t bother. I think part of the problem is that MTB parts do appear to be expensive, so people perceive the LBS has a high mark up.
    My local LBS, I never bother, but generally don’t spend much, it’s one of those old skool lbs, where everything is quite cheap and they only sell kids bikes, the odd cheap mtb and lower end road bikes, their prices are cheap as it is (ie they quoted me £25 for a wheel build, it was £50+ at local MTB specialists)
    A pet hate is the LBS which has cheap prices online, but full price in the shop. I sort of understand why they are doing it, but it only enforces my determination to get a discount there.

    neninja
    Free Member

    I stopped using one lbs as it always seemed they made their prices up on the spot which were often higher than RRP. Having questioned why they were trying to charge more than RRP they got shirty.

    Got a couple of good shops locally though – Bike Sport in Darlington and Red Ape in Bishop Auckland. Sometimes they discount, sometimes not but both have fitted parts I’ve bought for nothing so that balances out for me.

    cycleworlduk
    Free Member

    Having worked in car sales the similarities are stark… I would say bike shops are in the same boat. I get every type of customers asking for discounts…( and I made more wages selling cars!)

    Ewan
    Free Member

    I never understand why anyone would buy any big ticket item without trying to get a discount.

    Surely the shop wants to extract as much as they can from me, and I want to give as little as I can. We’ll doubtless meet in the middle somewhere… or if I still think the price is too high i’ll find somewhere that’ll sell it for a price I’m happy with. That’s the same whether it’s a telly or a bike or a car we’re talking about.

    I don’t owe anyone a living, bike shops included…

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    yes whatever I buy i haggle in merlin as they dont need to post 😉
    sometimes they discount but never by much as I assume the margins are tight. Get little bits for free from scrap /returns bin.tbh I haggel everywhere except the supermarket as the worst that happens is they refuse. Amasing how low you can drive peole down sometimes got 25 % of a carpet recently…his view was he would “upgrade” the underlay for no extra charge.
    Lived in middle east for a bit there is no such think as cheek in haggling IME.
    Occasionally get told to buy it or not and am never offended by any reply tbh

    dyls
    Full Member

    I always ask for a deal when spending thousands on a new bike, as i do when spending thousands on a new car. Never ask for any other discounts, ie accessories and so on.

    TurnerGuy
    Free Member

    I have had to ask Evans to price match their own website before – if I hadn’t been on the ball I would have paid £40 more for a pair of shoes (except I wouldn’t have bought them if they hadn’t been on sale) and there was something else with a similair discrepency.

    Thank goodness for smartphones so you can point out the pricing difference.

    cycleworlduk
    Free Member

    Does service count for nothing then? Does no-one want any help/or be looked after with loads free advice??

    taxi25
    Free Member

    I don’t ask for discount if it’s only a tube or something. But bigger items always. I don’t say give me 10% of or something, but ” whats the best price you can do this for ” It’s up to the retailer them, but I’m certainly not offended if they can’t or wont budge on price. But if they don’t there’s always the chance I might go elswhere.

    AlasdairMc
    Full Member

    Depends on the quality of service tbh. I’ve got a bike on order from The Bike Chain (no hurry Mark as I’m not riding for a while!!), but I was actually referred by them to a competitor when I found they couldn’t stock my original choice. I actually prefer the one I’m getting now, but their desire to please the customer is such that I’m now completely sold on the place.

    In terms of discounts, I’d only ever ask for what is published and offered, anything else is pushing it in my mind.

    ojom
    Free Member

    Hey. I will be chasing tomorrow for it. Had loads of other cubes come through so it must be delayed for some reason. Will call you round about luncheon.

    Coyote
    Free Member

    Have never asked for a discount. If I think the price is right for the bit I want, then I buy. If not I’ll shop around. It’s not like we are short of choice.

    When I do go to my LBS, I get loads of free (invaluable!) advice and they will occasionally ring me up a discount if I’ve bought a few things. This is a nice gesture and makes me feel valued.

    We’ve all got to make a living.

    smell_it
    Free Member

    The thing for me is I don’t want to be haggling, or to be wondering if I should be. I just want a price on an item so I can decide if I want it, pretty much like a supermarket. I don’t want an lbs to be making me coffee or pretending to be my mate, I’m just happy if they are polite and have some knowledge about what they are selling. I’ll pay a bit more for some bits at an lbs without too much worry, but given what I’ve just said it’s no surprise I get most of my kit on line.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 145 total)

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