Helmets in London

[Mikeyboy]

I'm trying to find somewhere in central or east London where I can actually go and try a helmet on, I don't know my size so thats all I need to do.

I would have thought there would be more than enough track day enthusiasts out there to make a Motorsports shop a viable idea but it seems not.

I'm preferably looking for a car helmet but I suppose bike ones are the same size right?

So where can i go in the City/West end of London to try a helmet on?

[LuckyP]

http://www.gprdirect.com/OnlineShop/Document.do?c=...

Chiswick?

[Mikeyboy]

LuckyP said:

http://www.gprdirect.com/OnlineShop/Document.do?c=...

Chiswick?

Is that the closest? My God! they would make a fortune by opening a smaller shop in the city where people can get to them during the day.
Anything East that people know of?


edited for spelling

Edited by Mikeyboy on Monday 18th August 21:54

[agent006]

Mikeyboy said:

I would have thought there would be more than enough track day enthusiasts out there to make a Motorsports shop a viable idea but it seems not.

Given that there are 3, maybe 4 shops in the country that carry a good size stock of 10 or more helmet models, obviously not.

[flemke]

Mikeyboy said:

LuckyP said:

http://www.gprdirect.com/OnlineShop/Document.do?c=...

Chiswick?

Is that the closest? My God! tehy would make a fortune by opening a smaller shop in the city where people can get to them during the day.
Anything East that people know of?

Stand 21 has a shop about a half-mile from Brands Hatch. They only carry their own products.

[tertius]

Mikeyboy said:

I'm trying to find somewhere in central or east London where I can actually go and try a helmet on, I don't know my size so thats all I need to do.

I would have thought there would be more than enough track day enthusiasts out there to make a Motorsports shop a viable idea but it seems not.

I'm preferably looking for a car helmet but I suppose bike ones are the same size right?

So where can i go in the City/West end of London to try a helmet on?

I may have misunderstood what you mean by the bits I've highlighted, but size and fit are unique to each manufacturer - a Medium may fit you perfectly from one make/model and be hopeless from another.

[Mikeyboy]

tertius said:

Mikeyboy said:

I'm trying to find somewhere in central or east London where I can actually go and try a helmet on, I don't know my size so thats all I need to do.

I would have thought there would be more than enough track day enthusiasts out there to make a Motorsports shop a viable idea but it seems not.

I'm preferably looking for a car helmet but I suppose bike ones are the same size right?

So where can i go in the City/West end of London to try a helmet on?

I may have misunderstood what you mean by the bits I've highlighted, but size and fit are unique to each manufacturer - a Medium may fit you perfectly from one make/model and be hopeless from another.

no thats largely some of the things I'm curious about and why I want to try some on.

[Mikeyboy]

agent006 said:

Mikeyboy said:

I would have thought there would be more than enough track day enthusiasts out there to make a Motorsports shop a viable idea but it seems not.

Given that there are 3, maybe 4 shops in the country that carry a good size stock of 10 or more helmet models, obviously not.

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say?

Are you really trying to say that a shop in central London the largest city in Europe with the most disposable wealth of any city in the UK is not a good location for any business. Niche or not? As far as I can work out there is one and its in a largely residential location where people working in the centre can't get to it during its opening hours

I seriously think someone is missing a trick. The shop doesn't have to be big, maybe even a franchise in Lillywhites or an outlet in Canary wharf but I would be sure that those with GT3's and others would be all too willing to go somewhere they can actually try the stuff on rather than wait until they get a chance to visit some pretty remote shops (from a London POV)

Just 'cos someone hasn't done it doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. I would certainly explore the idea

[agent006]

Mikeyboy said:

Are you really trying to say that a shop in central London the largest city in Europe with the most disposable wealth of any city in the UK is not a good location for any business. Niche or not? As far as I can work out there is one and its in a largely residential location where people working in the centre can't get to it during its opening hours

Yes. Leave aside the fact that the vast majority of those in central london travel via piblic transport which is renound for its convenience for tranporting large bulky items. My point is that the entire UK populace is enough to sustain less than 5 of such retailers, so i don't see that location plays much of a factor. Add to that the inevitable size restrictions due to the cost of premises in central London, and the stock levels of such a store would be unimpressive at best (given that GPR at Silverstone can't stock every range in every size). Helmets take up an awful lot of space (cubic foot each) so traditional retail uinits would be largely unsuitable.

[chris7676]

Helets and Canary Wharf - how unstuitable, I would more expect a DLR stories shop to open or something like that;)
Seriously though - try internet business pages (google / yellow /etc), that's how I found my local shop (but that was Ealing).

[Mikeyboy]

chris7676 said:

Helets and Canary Wharf - how unstuitable, I would more expect a DLR stories shop to open or something like that;)
Seriously though - try internet business pages (google / yellow /etc), that's how I found my local shop (but that was Ealing).

So true about Canary wharf so true... I did try the Yellow pages which is why I came on here. It gave me a motorsports shop on Regent's street. Hoorah. Then I went there. All steve McQueen memorabilia etc. Hmm not exactly what I was looking for.

[Mikeyboy]

agent006 said:

Mikeyboy said:

Are you really trying to say that a shop in central London the largest city in Europe with the most disposable wealth of any city in the UK is not a good location for any business. Niche or not? As far as I can work out there is one and its in a largely residential location where people working in the centre can't get to it during its opening hours

Yes. Leave aside the fact that the vast majority of those in central london travel via piblic transport which is renound for its convenience for tranporting large bulky items. My point is that the entire UK populace is enough to sustain less than 5 of such retailers, so i don't see that location plays much of a factor. Add to that the inevitable size restrictions due to the cost of premises in central London, and the stock levels of such a store would be unimpressive at best (given that GPR at Silverstone can't stock every range in every size). Helmets take up an awful lot of space (cubic foot each) so traditional retail uinits would be largely unsuitable.

Last tiem I looked at a helmet being carried by someone it was about the same size as a bag of shopping or a small carry on bag, not the size of a house.
This isn't really the place to get into a discussion on business but....

Bags and shoes take up a ton of space and in the latter case are not always available in store in every size but thats never stopped them from opening small stores in the centre of towns. And yes I do know that more shoes and bags will be sold than ever will helmets.
Location though plays more of a factor in where you place your retail outlet than virtually any other. putting a butchers in an area renowned for its florists is not going to have people travel miles to check you out, but they may check you out if you are a butchers on a street renowned for its food.

The shop I am envisaging is a branch of a larger store by the way, not a stand alone store as I do believe as you say that would struggle hugely franchises or outlets however are a different thing, that way people can come in and try on a helmet and have it brought from the larger store in the next day/week should that be needed and helmets would be just one of the product lines, people I imagine also buy gloves, suits and the rest right?
Done properly the store gets passing custom during the week, attracts the type of people who may not have thought or wanted to travel to Brands from Chelsea/East london. There are in fact more business cases FOR such a business than against.
On that point...Flemke, couldn't lend me a fiver to get this idea of the ground could you?

[agent006]

Mikeyboy said:

Done properly the store gets passing custom during the week, attracts the type of people who may not have thought or wanted to travel to Brands from Chelsea/East london. There are in fact more business cases FOR such a business than against.
On that point...Flemke, couldn't lend me a fiver to get this idea of the ground could you?

Is there anyone who would just buy motorsport gear in impulse though? For the racing market you're dealing with people who travel hundreds of miles every weekend for the sport so i doubt they'd mind a half hour drive across town to pick up some kit. If they've got such a surplus of wealth then surely an afternoon off won't break the bank.

I'd be interested to see how far you'd get with a bank's new business team with the idea.

[Mikeyboy]

agent006 said:

Mikeyboy said:

Done properly the store gets passing custom during the week, attracts the type of people who may not have thought or wanted to travel to Brands from Chelsea/East london. There are in fact more business cases FOR such a business than against.
On that point...Flemke, couldn't lend me a fiver to get this idea of the ground could you?

Is there anyone who would just buy motorsport gear in impulse though? For the racing market you're dealing with people who travel hundreds of miles every weekend for the sport so i doubt they'd mind a half hour drive across town to pick up some kit. If they've got such a surplus of wealth then surely an afternoon off won't break the bank.

I'd be interested to see how far you'd get with a bank's new business team with the idea.

I wouldn't get anywhere as simply I haven't got the original shop with the larger stock. As I said this only works as an outlet or franchise opportunity, not as a stand alone store so there would be no business case for me to do it, well on initial impressions anyway.
As for passing trade, thats very different from impulse buying. Robert Dyas do very well in the city and west end because they developed a plan where they saw people might want to buy DIY items for the evening and weekends without having to drive out to a B&Q etc i.e passing trade of people who know what they want but don't want to waste holdays or mornings looking for this elusive thing.
Tell you what I'll do a poll and see what people say.

[DiscoColin]

Mikeyboy said:

...As for passing trade, thats very different from impulse buying. Robert Dyas do very well in the city and west end because ...

They sell things that a large proportion of the population have a need for. Seriously - in comparison terms it is so far from valid it is rather amusing. What you are proposing is to sell bulky items with comparatively low mark up and a miniscule potential market in the most expensive retail space in the country... Good luck with that.

The only potential business opportunity here is if it were piggybacked on to a significantly more viable business model - the obvious one being a motorcycle accessories dealer (there is a large and increasing demand for all things on 2 wheels in London). That would work. Anything else would need a margin so huge that almost every potential customer would pop in to try things for size and then go home to their internet connection to give it some thought.

The best place to buy a helmet is probably the ASI show in January (not that this helps you if you need one sooner). That is where I got mine. Failing that, a (likely one off) road trip to one of those niche retailers on their big, cheap industrial site locations...