Hypothetical new bike shop.... brands to stock?

Hypothetical new bike shop.... brands to stock?

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Discussion

Pupp

Original Poster:

12,351 posts

278 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
Ok, new indie bike shop in a medium sized market town in good cycling country. Aiming more at sport and leisure riders (road and XC MTB, not a mountain area but great bridleways and reservoir/forest tracks around) than commuters and kids. What brands would you want to see being focused on?

Uriel

3,244 posts

257 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
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The last three bikes I wanted to check out in person were BMC, Fuji and Cinelli. None of which I could find local (apart from Evans that could order in a BMC or Fuji for a £50 deposit).

DrMekon

2,493 posts

222 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
1 big brand (trek or specialized)
1 quality budget brand (ridgeback)
1 quirky brand (Salsa)

I'd also be the importer something bonkers for the extra publicity - maybe a Cetma or a Kemper Packmax Duo

curlie467

7,650 posts

207 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
I would say that you need a budget brand (raleigh, diamondback etc), one very popular brand (specialized, trek, giant etc). You could then go for a specialist/lesser known (cube, ghost, focus etc).
I wouldnt go for the specialist brands only, especially if its in a popular cycling area as you would get people just popping in rather than special trips like i had to do to look at mountain bikes and even then i went for a specialized anyway.

Parsnip

3,132 posts

194 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
Scope out the area, stock something that people want, but others don't have.

Gauge what the locals want - my old LBS stocked next to no low end stuff - they couldn't compete price wise with the big names for crap bikes, so they stocked high end stuff (Trek Project 1 dealer, loads of Cervelo bling, Zipp wheels etc.) As a result, all the local roadies and tri-weenies used it.

The other option is to be a good, cheap mechanic who happens to stock a few bits and bobs.

Online places will be your big competition, and you will never be able to compete pricewise, so you need to offer something they don't - bike fitting, sponsoring a local team etc.

sjg

7,526 posts

271 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
Ones that Evans or Halfords don't stock.

The best bike shops I go to are focussed on one or two sections of the market and as a result can have staff who have specialist knowledge and enough stock (especially clothes). Avoid spreading too thin!

OneDs

1,629 posts

182 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
Why bother with other peoples brands, cut out the middle man and go get a freelance bike designer to draw up some designs, then get in contact with someone like XACD in China to build your own frames.

Also these days I don't think you can rely on just passing trade to build up a business unless you are in a complete honey trap.

Set up an online shop, if you can get some good reviews and set your designer the remit to create some niche designs with enough of a following you'll probably end up doing more online business than walk in.

Work with the best finishing kit suppliers you can whilst achieving decent trading terms and pass the savings on in your completes.

Don't be afraid to offer a premium and custom services. Make sure your mech(s) is top notch and know there onions and live and breathe the type of bikes & riding you'll be focusing on, it's no use having a BMX geek more interested in setting up Odyssey Giros than servicing Fox forks

It's always good to have a base so people try your products but don't be afraid to do shows and demo days at other locations.

anonymous-user

60 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
i was thinking about this the other night, the sort of "bored at work and i wish i could start my own bike shop" kind of thing!.....

to be honest, or sensible, it is very much dependant on what else is around and the local economy. if there is money in the town then go for the big bucks with some leftfield brands otherwise go for the dull unit shifters.... personally, i would go for something like ORBEA and CANNONDALE being the main brands satisfying the bulk of the range with a good mix of ally and carbon frames, VAN NICHOLAS just because they look so lovely, ARGON 18 for the ninja tri crowd and DAWES for the touring/audax masochists.... job done. lovely mix of materials, price range and

i think i'll call it the Cog and Sprocket, have a coffee machine on the go at all times and some comfy sofas to lounge around on....

itsnotarace

4,685 posts

215 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
Just a FYI, it's really hard to get deals with the big brands (Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Giant etc) and none of them will provide bikes on a sale or return basis. They will also want a significant proportion of the shop floor solely for their own brand and you have to stock a minimum number of bikes and offer dedicated fitting services and workshop, posters, banners etc etc

Companies like Raleigh and LandRover (the bikes, not the 4x4's) are much easier to get credit accounts with and operate on a sale or return basis.

village idiot

3,163 posts

273 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
don't forget about pashley... you can't open a bike shop without selling pashley bikes too!

Pupp

Original Poster:

12,351 posts

278 months

Friday 22nd October 2010
quotequote all
village idiot said:
don't forget about pashley... you can't open a bike shop without selling pashley bikes too!
Wanna bet? smile

3rtt

943 posts

258 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
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An e-bike shop selling pedal assist / pedelec bike.

It's the future.........believe me wink

Something like thsi:




Cheers,
Ian.

shalmaneser

6,031 posts

201 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
Cannondale are the most popular brand in my shop. Brilliant value for money and lovely frames too (especially the CAAD road frames).

Lapierre and Commencal are very popular ATM too.

Specialized overpriced for some reason right now. Trek a complete joke. Ridgeback/Genesis are excellent value and have a good selection of bikes too.

Pupp

Original Poster:

12,351 posts

278 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
How about clothing and accessories? Endura is a given...

Engineer1

10,486 posts

215 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
If you are setting up in a cycling area surely bike hire should be your main focus, followed by maintenance/repair kit, tyres, inner tubes, mud guards and bottles then clothing, if you can fit and fix on site even better. If you are in a holiday area then people probably won't spend £500+ if it isn't local to them or with a good backup and returns policy, those that will may not have a way of getting their new bike home so delivery or selling a range of bike transport systems is probably a good idea.

neil_bolton

17,113 posts

270 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
Can I just make a recommendation.

Don't.

Seriously, don't.

Unless you're willing to screw every employee on wages, and cry everytime some tt comes in with a magazine and goes "Price match" mister on your one key profit maker, and yet still want an hour of your time on advice, don't do it.

It's a massively hard business to get going, and the small boys struggle every day: The repair side doesn't really pay unless you can constantly turn over at reasonable hourly rates which no one will want to pay "How much to service a bike?!" and you have a huge store for the repairs AND the bloody massive bike boxes in all sizes that you'll need, you'll struggle.

It's chicken and egg, you need a large unit, and they're only cheap out of town where no one goes, so you don't get passing trade.

Look at mud dock: They make far more money in the cafe/restaurant upstairs than they do with the bike shop below...

ps, bike hire is fine, but again, it's a pig to maintain, and you need even more storage.



Edited by neil_bolton on Saturday 23 October 17:24

Parsnip

3,132 posts

194 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
Pupp said:
How about clothing and accessories? Endura is a given...
Latex and long valve tubes - nowhere sells the bloody things, and ordering tubes from the net is a Pain in the arse. Also, don't take the piss with the price - I know how much an inner tube costs - I will pay 50p more to buy it in your shop, I will not pay £2 more.

Castelli stuff I like, Assos shorts are good too, but dunno if worth stocking. Agree with Endura. Would also look at some of the Adidas stuff - Got a pair of arm warmers, booties and a gilet that were all dirt cheap and great quality.

Get a load of cheap water bottles with your shop logo on them - free advertising and people go through them like no ones business (or at least I do)


khushy

3,966 posts

225 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
neil_bolton said:
Can I just make a recommendation.

Don't.

Seriously, don't.

Unless you're willing to screw every employee on wages, and cry everytime some tt comes in with a magazine and goes "Price match" mister on your one key profit maker, and yet still want an hour of your time on advice, don't do it.

It's a massively hard business to get going, and the small boys struggle every day: The repair side doesn't really pay unless you can constantly turn over at reasonable hourly rates which no one will want to pay "How much to service a bike?!" and you have a huge store for the repairs AND the bloody massive bike boxes in all sizes that you'll need, you'll struggle.

It's chicken and egg, you need a large unit, and they're only cheap out of town where no one goes, so you don't get passing trade.

Look at mud dock: They make far more money in the cafe/restaurant upstairs than they do with the bike shop below...

ps, bike hire is fine, but again, it's a pig to maintain, and you need even more storage.



Edited by neil_bolton on Saturday 23 October 17:24
good advice - unless you have £1m to burn you will ALWAYS be beaten on price and thats where the money is volume/low margin sales.

Dont do it!

sjj84

2,390 posts

225 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
A new bike shop has opened fairly near to me, one man band in an industrial unit out of town. Think he started off a while ago as an online only shop, before buying/renting the unit. It's a smallish unit, with half as stock room and half as showroom with a life kitchen area. From having a look around it seems he only stocks top end kit, so more for the dedicated cyclist rather than passing trade, which I guess means being out of town doesn't matter.
Seems to be doing alright though, lots of groups meet there for a ride out and have coffee/bacon sandwich beforehand. Probably doesn't sell alot to them there and then, but I'd imagine it helps to build up a decent customer relationship for future sales.

okgo

39,209 posts

204 months

Saturday 23rd October 2010
quotequote all
I'd love there be more places like sigma sport, but the more I think about it, they are in a fantastic place and I doubt it would work many other places!