Dream Bike Shop - HELP
- Thread starter ando120
- Start date
pharmaboy
Eats Squid
Good point about the servicing.
I'd make sure the mechanic knows how to do rear and front suspension servicing - then advertise that fact outside with a one day guarantee for servicing - so the customer books in the bike, the service counter makes sure they have the seals etc for that fork and when it comes in, the service is done that day.
So many shops send stuff away and for people with one bike, that means not riding
A good range of sizes in your chosen clothing lines. I was after a new pair of baggies recently and of the 3 shops I normally visit, one didn't have anything other than knicks, the other two had a better range but all their shorts were in a 32in waist, happy to pay a bit more if I can get something off the rack so it fits well but if I have to wait for it to come in and make a special trip down to the store I'll take the cheaper online, delivered to my door option.
Its a similar story with shoes, my LBS didn't have the shoe I was looking at but they had a different model with the same fit and offered to overnight (at no extra cost) the model I wanted once I had tried on what they had in store. I think this approach would work well if you didn't want to carry a huge range but were prepared to get things in fast.
Its a similar story with shoes, my LBS didn't have the shoe I was looking at but they had a different model with the same fit and offered to overnight (at no extra cost) the model I wanted once I had tried on what they had in store. I think this approach would work well if you didn't want to carry a huge range but were prepared to get things in fast.
C0na
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Have a decent second hand section of parts and bikes.
Offer discounts for people to give you their older parts in exchange for new parts, then service the parts and sell them with a higher margin (not a huge margin!) then privately sold used parts, with the option of a 3-6 month repair warranty.
Have a selection of used bikes to offer for rent for the day.
Have a 'rent' workshop space so people can DIY with the use of your tools and equipment.
Offer 'a group social rides (or riding club) on weekends (downtime). Charge $5 odd a head for tours/group rides (provide a quick tune-up/bike check/service before the ride).
Offer discounts for people to give you their older parts in exchange for new parts, then service the parts and sell them with a higher margin (not a huge margin!) then privately sold used parts, with the option of a 3-6 month repair warranty.
Have a selection of used bikes to offer for rent for the day.
Have a 'rent' workshop space so people can DIY with the use of your tools and equipment.
Offer 'a group social rides (or riding club) on weekends (downtime). Charge $5 odd a head for tours/group rides (provide a quick tune-up/bike check/service before the ride).
scblack
Leucocholic
Make sure the staff give a CORRECT answer. At a local shop in Parramatta, I rang them to specifically check if they had a selection of DH style jerseys before I headed to the store - to check it is DH STYLE. Yes, they replied we have a rack of them.
Get to the store and it's all XC and BMX.
Oh, you must not have been specific enough on the description was their reply. Crap, the reason is your staff are morons, and that is the reason I have never returned.
Get to the store and it's all XC and BMX.
Oh, you must not have been specific enough on the description was their reply. Crap, the reason is your staff are morons, and that is the reason I have never returned.
Jim Junkie
Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
Customer service is no. 1 for me, and this means honest service more than anything. Whenever I catch a store selling the wrong thing to someone who doesn't know better simply because they can and that's what they have in stock, I don't go back. It happens far to often too.
No. 2: A good range of parts, including 559 tires. For some reason 559 is the easiest to buy online and the hardest to buy in-store.
I can't really decide on the bike stock thing myself, I do love browsing some bike-porn while wandering around the shop, but I can't help but think that space would be better used for things I'm actually going to buy? (Parts, tools, etc.). This mostly applies to small shops though, and boutique stores with lots of high end gear It's a no brainer to have them all out for the chain stores selling mass bikes to Mum, Dad & little Johnny.
And finally, the most unrealistic thing: a test track. Testing a bike up & down the road for fit & feel just doesn't do it for me, I want something a bit closer to what I'm going to be riding it on. Probably loaded with all sorts of liability issues though
.
And I love the open workshop idea.
Edit: One last thing - a day a week with after hours opening for us 9-5 chumps & a good website with comprehensive stock lists.
No. 2: A good range of parts, including 559 tires. For some reason 559 is the easiest to buy online and the hardest to buy in-store.
I can't really decide on the bike stock thing myself, I do love browsing some bike-porn while wandering around the shop, but I can't help but think that space would be better used for things I'm actually going to buy? (Parts, tools, etc.). This mostly applies to small shops though, and boutique stores with lots of high end gear It's a no brainer to have them all out for the chain stores selling mass bikes to Mum, Dad & little Johnny.
And finally, the most unrealistic thing: a test track. Testing a bike up & down the road for fit & feel just doesn't do it for me, I want something a bit closer to what I'm going to be riding it on. Probably loaded with all sorts of liability issues though
.And I love the open workshop idea.
Edit: One last thing - a day a week with after hours opening for us 9-5 chumps & a good website with comprehensive stock lists.
Last edited:
wavike
Likes Dirt
First there has to be a hole in the market where you are wanting to setup. Is there enough of a customer base, what are you providing that isn't already available.
Thinking about the stores local to me - Splesh, trek and Giant stores. They only stock their brand gear, so big enough to give service and know product. A couple of other stores that stock a variety of bikes, but seem to know shitall about most of them. Can you afford to spend 15min selling someone a $100 part that you might clear $10.
I think one of the big items is being able to customise a bike without charging ridiculous $$ to do it. That may not be possible unless turnover is big and parts taken off are sellable.
Good mechanics, being able to service suspension and fit online purchased parts is lacking. But is providing that a sustainable business model ???
Thinking about the stores local to me - Splesh, trek and Giant stores. They only stock their brand gear, so big enough to give service and know product. A couple of other stores that stock a variety of bikes, but seem to know shitall about most of them. Can you afford to spend 15min selling someone a $100 part that you might clear $10.
I think one of the big items is being able to customise a bike without charging ridiculous $$ to do it. That may not be possible unless turnover is big and parts taken off are sellable.
Good mechanics, being able to service suspension and fit online purchased parts is lacking. But is providing that a sustainable business model ???
Nerf Herder
Wheel size expert
Liability mine field IMO but merit in there if you can over come the dangers
steve jobs' pancreas
Eats Squid
8 speed stuff
Calvin27
Eats Squid
Yeah I missed the 'dream bike shop bit. Everyone here (me included) seems to be answering what would make a normal bike shop better. But James is on the money for the 'dream bike shop'. Here are some other crazy ideas:And finally, the most unrealistic thing: a test track. Testing a bike up & down the road for fit & feel just doesn't do it for me, I want something a bit closer to what I'm going to be riding it on. Probably loaded with all sorts of liability issues though
- Short bits of track maybe make it outdoors. In fact just integrate the whole bike shop into a track, make it wrap around the carpark, go up the roof, include a mini pump section and load it with some serious banked turns. Maybe run some sort of competition like 'best time on a brand new bike' and people can only log a time if they had just got a new bike from your store.
- Have a fitness / performance rig where you can measure VO2 and other fitness related stuff. Maybe have a mini casual tournament where people can rock up and try to clock a max effort (say 2km sprint?). This will keep people coming back, check progress and also a godo opportunity to sell more stuff as riders advance.
- A shock simulator with VR. Sort of like those bull ride thingy you see at American parties. or maybe a 4 player VR game. Just for kicks to get people in store.
- Wind tunnel for the roadies. Let people book it out and also hada standard test dummy (like buster) who logs the most recent tested aero data for new kit.
- Interactive specs - sort of like MONA (art gallery in tas) where you scan stuff and it give you info. This will give you access to consumers phones when they use the app.
- A workshop to rival the F1 team garage. Make it look like your bike will get the full service. Got to look the part.
- Have a bike generator that converts x watt hours into dollar for some sort of charity or local community group.
- Decent coffee is a must but also some crazy burger joint and a bar would be nice. Coffee is good for morning, but something else could get people back in the store at later hours.
- A massive sand pit as long as a long jump pit to sell more fat bikes. This could carve out a massive niche that no one is playing in. You could be the fat bike specialist store and stock a lot of the stuff that is not available here.
- Good staff but more importantly variety. You need young guys, old guys, girls and everything in between. People relate more to salespeople in their demographic.
- TV playing continuous epic biking footage cannot be underestimated. I was in Queenstown eating a burger and the video made me want to do all the extreme sports they had to offer. Even my non riding missuses wanted to try downhill MTB!
Pretty much glam it up and have something crazy that gets people back to your store as much as possible. You did say DREAM BIKE STORE!
This sounds like it's for a school assignment..................
Anyway, here's what I want:
-I work during daylight. Provide me an option to see you store or collect things after hours.
-I'm built like a man and need mens sizes. XL should be the minimum and XXL should be stocked.
-Don't say that something broke because I'm riding it too hard. Like der, being fast and hardcore isn't all smooth sailing.
-Don't let bike shop groupies into your workshop. Tell them to fuck off altogether.
-Don't complain that online shopping is killing your store even though you make no profit on your part sales anyway. Your service needs to be reliable and accurate and people will pay for it...........
-If you do demo days and group rides etc, please don't dress your group riders in things relating to your shop. That deters most people from going near your shop as most people who wear shop clothes are fucking tools.
-Don't sell triathlon gear. Sell the bikes but not the dick sticking swimwear that goes with it. It's got no place in a bike shop. Go to the Mardi Gras for that shit.
-Support whatever racing and social days you can. Be awesome and even bring some gear along for people to be interested in.
-Pay some money towards trail maintenance and occupancy permits. You'll be considered a great guy!
-Don't do radio commercials. No one buys a bike off a radio commercial.
-Have a tablet or computer that people can use to see the catalogue of the bikes they like.
-Don't be a boutique store.
-Only hire people who ride and ride more than one discipline. There's nothing worse than having a roadie preach to you about the benefits of buying a 29er hardtail. This activates the chance of being told to fuck off by 100%.
-Don't put work experience kids on the sales floor! More importantly, don't put the work experience kid on someone's forks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't put the work experience kid near anything other than the shitty scooters you sell to raise your profit!
-Don't sell flat brim hats!
Shadow Puppet
Likes Dirt
To the OP,
Are you going to be using Aussie distributors? If so, your shop will not compete with anything online. Im happy paying a little extra to buy local but the Aussie distro's service is appauling. Long wait times for parts, poor service for warranty and service and prices that you just can't make money off.
Are you going to be using Aussie distributors? If so, your shop will not compete with anything online. Im happy paying a little extra to buy local but the Aussie distro's service is appauling. Long wait times for parts, poor service for warranty and service and prices that you just can't make money off.
Ideate
Senior Member
So many contradictions. How are you suppose to sell scooters without flat brim hats? How are you suppose to make money from roadie preachers if there's no roadie preacher to sell it to them? You sound a bit like a preacher yourself.
Ideate
Senior Member
Good idea! So pump track, mini ramp and a massive sand pit!
Know your market - you're in Tassie so the market is limited, but can be done. Have a look at how popular Johnny is, whether he is making money I can't say.
Stock a few different brands gear. Whilst searching for shoes, and more recently knicks / bibs, I had to go to half a dozen stores to try on different brands.
Service that doesn't cost as much as my chargeout rate.
Stock a few different brands gear. Whilst searching for shoes, and more recently knicks / bibs, I had to go to half a dozen stores to try on different brands.
Service that doesn't cost as much as my chargeout rate.
Face palm.
My post was about as realistic as the thread idea itself. Internet forums aren't for laughs, they are serious business! :frusty: