MYSTERY SHOPPER | EASTBOURNE SPONSORED BY
Rouleur Ltd publishes the acclaimed cycling magazines Rouleur and Privateer. These are sold exclusively through subscription and IBDs only
The Eastbourne SUPREMACY
Coastal Eastbourne would make an idyllic setting for packing in the miles along the seafront, even if the beach promenade does have ‘no cycling signs’ plastered all over it. Mystery Shopper ignores the warnings and goes in search of road bike and some fish and chips…
Phoenix Cycles
THE FIRST visit of the day sets the bar and nine times out of ten independent stores set the bar at a reasonable height. It wasn't to be with this visit, however, as having
done circles on the shop floor for five minutes unseen by staff, a matter of seconds more would have seen a walk out without interaction. Thankfully, prior to that, intervention by the staffer
came. Popping out from behind the counter, the staffer heard my brief and without hesitation told me “you've come at the wrong time of year.” There's a time of year for shopping? “It will be around two months before we have stocks
The winner of Mystery Shopper will receive Star Store Status and will win a display, magazine and book bundle from Rouleur Ltd – purveyors of exceptional cycling literature
10 BIKEBIZ APRIL
of road bikes again,” said the assistant. It goes without saying that that long a period without key items such as road bikes in a seaside town with cyclists aplenty is without doubt lost money. I was passed a Giant catalogue and told to return in a
month's time. You have to wonder, in this day and age, what kind of customer ready to buy would wait a month to purchase without at least browsing elsewhere.
Halfords
LITTLE ELSE could have fitted my brief better than a Boardman, given the Olympic star’s design team having a knack for knocking out bikes bang on my budget of £800 to £1,000?
Mystery Shopper tends to give ten minutes before being seen in most Halfords branches as staff numbers seem to vary drastically between visits. On this visit very few were present and my assistant was busy unpacking stock on the mezzanine bike department. Having given near ten minutes I decided to intervene
and having established that only the Boardman line would satisfy my brief – asked a few simple questions. Responses ranged from "I think so", through blunt yes and no replies while the staffer continued to unpack cleaning fluids. To summarise the broken pieces of information given, I was advised to shop at
Halfords.com where deals I’d find details and "stuff probably a bit cheaper". Seeing little opportunity to take much more from the experience I chose to leave it there.
BIKEBIZ.COM
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