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theyre good ideas poly...some im looking at implementing shortly....thanks for all the ideas/suggestions 😀
i thought it was quite funny the other week, i had my bike in at the lbs to get the wheels sorted, £40 + £5 tub off lub, the look of the guys face when i told him to keep the change was priceless, clearly not the type of thing he's used to, but he did a good job and did it quick so i was happy enough to offer a tip!
ziggy - MemberI honestly thought you were being serious with all of your quotes.
😆
Just being argumentative, especially when I was told that 30-40% margin was a thing of the past, and almost immediately figures were supplied by the shop owners themselves which showed 40% margins are still alive and well, albeit on tubes. 🙄
Tbh, I do get a little irritated with shop owners coming on here and complaining that customers dare to ask for a better deal, as the shop owners seem to do fairly regularly. And complaining about the costs of running a LBS is ludicrous - nobody forced you to set up, but just bear in mind that you are selling luxury goods in a market that is doing well at the moment. God help you when cycling becomes unpopular again!
Of course people will ask for a better price when they can get the same goods cheaper whether that's in the shop down the road, Tesco, or on the net. That's the answer to the OP.
Ask for discount in Tesco, asda etc?
No need! they have staff, money etc and doing it for you! checking each other prices so they can be cheaper, how many ads are on TV say one is cheaper than the other, refund the differnce if found cheaper else where, etc.
LBS don't have the time or money to go checking other prices.
Also a lot of internet places have cheap prices but funny how they "just sold out, it be in next week" when you want it.
Or the
Rider "how much for this" say point to a wheel set"
Shop, "they £645 for the set"
Rider "oh I seen them for £560 off the net"
Shop "Thats a good price, can't match that, you better off getting them of the net"
Rider "yes, but the out of stock and not getting anymore in"
Shop .....Just shakes head.......
The last time I went to my LBS I was getting a wheel built. I went along with my old wheel and asked if they would fit the cassette and rotor for me. 'No problem' they said and they wouldn't take any money for it either. I know it's only a five minute job but I'm sure other places would charge so there's no way I would ask for a discount there.
However, I find with some of the bigger chains that they can be a bit arsey sometimes and don't often know their stuff. They may give you bad advice or tell you the obvious so I would consider asking for a discount at such a shop if I was making a big purchase.
Everybody has a built in "rulebook" and everybody's "rulebook" is different. Personally if I spend more than £500 on one item, I always ask what discount they will give me for buying there and then. The truth is I am going to buy the said product, so it doesn't matter if I get a discount or not. I have gotten discounts on furniture, technology, bikes, holidays etc. However I don't always get a discount but that doesn't stop me asking. If you don't ask you don't get. I never ask for a discount unless I am going to buy there and then! What really amazes me though, is when I ask for a discount, I either get one or I don't but no retailer ever offers me an alternative..........
As somebody as already mentioned retailers need to think like business people. When somebody spends a £1000 on a bike, rather than give them £100 discount, offer them a £100's worth of accessories. The customer still feels like they are getting a deal (and saving a £100) but there are 2 benefits to the retailer
a) The retailer is giving away accessories worth £100 that only cost them say £70. So the retailer is making £30 more profit than they would have done had they just given 10% discount.
b) The retailer is supplying more accessories, which means they are buying more accessories from the distributor and therefore at some stage they may be able to negotiate a bigger discount from the said supplier/distributor. Imagine if you gave a helmet away with each bike purchase. How many would you shift in a year?
The other question that retailers need to ask themselves is "Why is the customer here, if as they claim, they can get a better deal online or at another lbs?" If the deal down the road was so good, why is the customer standing infront of you? Qualify the customers, their needs and what they want to achieve. Don't be afraid to ask the customer questions. Does the customer need the product now? Does the other retailer have the part in stock?
Asking the right questions, will also allow you to give the customer good feedback and good customer service.
I haven't read any of the above but if you lbs owners expect me not to haggle you are deluded. Bike parts are just a commodity and you simply can't add enough value with 'service' to justify the price differential to online.
My lbs told me when I think of buying online give them a shout to see if they could match it. I got a king headset for about sixty and he said I can't match but ill fit it for ninety , he knows I have a headset press I bought it there ??? Madness lol.
Still certain things I buy online and certain things I prefer the lbs even if its more money. And I don't mind paying extra if I need it in a hurry as the extra price is worth paying as It's in your hand right away. Even more so now the the big chains seem a little slower with the post than in previous years
Even more so now the the big chains seem a little slower with the post than in previous years
which will help good lbs's
Just to let you know what profit margin LBS' general run on, it's half of Tesco's!
Approximate net profit margin for LBS' in the Uk is basically teh same as the U.S. which is damn as near it 2%.
gross profit is completely different to net profit. Staff in the bike trade aren't that well paid, way below national average salary even for a very good tech.