Recently learned of a Specialized concept store in Nottingham, Giant in Sheffield and Trek in Coventry.

Are these owned by the bike companies? If not, what’s in it for the owner to limit your range like that?

I assumed the Giant one in Sheffield to be a single-brand extension of JEJames, operating like a franchise sort of deal.

Yeah, if not, that Giant one in Sheffield is pretty close!

Yup, franchises, Spesh concept store in Kingston is run by Sigma.

I imagine they’re owned by the bike companies.
I also imagine they could put some top end stock on the shop floor, which must be a big draw for punters.
I like the idea.

My local Specialized store is owned by another store on the other side of town, who sell everthing that isn’t Specialized. Assume it’s a franchise deal.

Covent Garden Spesh is cycle surgery I think.

I’ve been wrong before, though.

Edit: not this time, though.

Yeah, the Specialized Concept Store in Chester is a franchise linked to The Bike Factory (which is next door).

I think the idea behind them is simply to offer the full range of kit from one manufacturer which a normal independent shop can’t manage.

Giant have a few, don’t know the linkup but there is one in Shoreham and another in St Pauls London that I know of..

Are these owned by the bike companies? If not, what’s in it for the owner to limit your range like that?

Much better profit margins, ability to stock every model in every size.

Mostly NOT owned by the brands.
Mostly owned by other LBS.

I was in the convent garden store today and it came up Cycle Surgery on the tills.

I went in a very nice giant shop in Liverpool a couple of weeks,lovely old building,must have cost a fortune.

There’s a Thule concept store in berlin. A bit boring.

Covent Garden Spesh is cycle surgery I think.

Correct

The Trek Concept Store in Milton Keynes is owned by Gary Bird of East Street Cycles.

Franchises. I’m hopelessly biased but if the other stores are as good as Giant Twickenham then they will be very good indeed. Giant have a stock of test bikes (road and mtb) and are very keen to get you on them. Weekend in Swinley? Race at Hillingdon. They also stock the high end bikes for you to fondle and ride up and down the road. It was a no-brainer when I bought my Defy.

Trek store in Cov is within a big unit that sells furniture and other home products, it’s ran by Cotswold outdoor which are also selling their usual stock.

There is a limited range of bikes and gear

In my experience they are happy to give the big happy family schpiel when selling, but when the frame snaps its only back to the store you bought it from (inconvenient due to move). Who then made me feel like they were doing me a favour rebuilding the bike I bought.
Not saying this is any different to if I had bought from a lbs, however that’s not how they market themselves.

Shame to hear the Trek/Coventry one is limited. Kind of defeats the idea of a concept stores if it’s range is limited.

Much better profit margins, ability to stock every model in every size.

And “free” marketing. (I assume they actually pay for it indirectly in their franchise agreement).

There’s a Merida shop in Avila (Spain) – not much use to most of the people on here, but I was feeling left out.

Specialized Ruislip is owned as a LBS, just is a concept store as well.

Trek store in Coventry hasn’t got the full range but they are happy to get bikes in, they offered to do that for me earlier this year, but I ended up doing a deal on a 2012 Rumblefish pro they had in the store in the correct size.

Giant store in Rutland is a Rutland Cycles offshoot, very good service in my experience.

Garlando, are you talking about Giant?
Actually, their warranty does not cover the cost of rebuilding the frame, Rutland did it for me with no issues and arranged the new frame based on pictures I sent without me having to take the bike to them first (Thankfully as I was in Japan at the time with the bike).

The Spesh store in Stafford is pretty good. They have some tasty bikes in stock