COMMUNITY SPONSORED BY is keen to publish your
opinions, whether you send them via email, Facebook, Twitter,
BikeBiz.com or semaphore…
Soaring summer sales? FROM
BIKEBIZ.COM AND TWITTER
HAS IT BEEN A DISAPPOINTING SUMMER FOR SALES AND THE WORKSHOP?
The industry is not in a good place currently, we are losing retailers regularly and even the repair business is reportedly weak (in peak season!) Billy Hunt
We’ve been smashing it at @HansfordCycles! Keeping up on stock, knowing your customer + being ‘real people’ seems to work.
@NiallRussell
Bikes have become a rip off, trying to reinvent the wheel with clever marketing – bikes haven’t got faster since late ‘90s. Post Wiggins-many new cyclists realise how hard cycling is and sell their bike, leading to an increase in second hand machines, meaning lesser shop sales. @AvalancheEvents
We have seen fantastic growth this year with all of our retail units responding with similar growth in our range of clothing. It does seem to buck the trend but I think certain parts of the industry are all stocking exactly the same thing – so inevitably every bike shop looks the same. Anonymous
FROM
FACEBOOK.COM AND BIKEBIZ
RESPONSE
TO STORY VIA
BIKEBIZ.COM
ARE BIKES IN BOXES WORTH IBD’S TIME? Well, it’s all a bit arguable. In the first place, there *may* be no less reason to “trust” the
bike in the box (whatever that means) any less than anything off the dealers own shelves – as in many cases, they are identical or near-identical product. Many brands sell the same item (albeit with occasionally different finishes as a sop to
HEAT WAVE BEEN MAKING YOUR SHOP TILLS RING? It gets so hot at 2 or 3pm that the area goes quiet. We’ve had two of the quietest Saturday afternoons ever, because it’s just so uncomfortable. Stefan Holmes, Honest Bike
IF THE WEATHER REALLY IS THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN THE PERFORMANCE OF BICYCLE RETAIL, HAS THIS
the IBD) via both box-movers and the IBD channel. In the second place, as we’ve said before, the internet and mail order are not going to go away and it seems to me that the more switched-on retailer will find ways to engage with these customers, rather than turning him or her away on a question of principle – and the best way to do that is to get them into the shop, serve them professionally and ask the question – why a bike in a box ... and then to gently (and not in the fashion I have often seen it done) suggest that building a relationship with your local IBD will give them greater satisfaction in their purchase in the future. Don’t harp on about how crap the bike is, make constructive suggestions along the lines of “we could probably do something to lower your risk of punctures by replacing your tyres with something a bit more durable” rather than “these tyres are bloody awful and don’t seat on the rims very well – could be because they’re crap rims of course” ... which is the way I am sure we’ve all seen it done. There is probably profit to be gained out of these situations above and beyond just the labour cost of assembly – and I do agree – don’t pitch that too low! Graeme King, Velotech
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“Get in there! Right to roam coming to Wales. @BikeBizOnline Fire up the Flux, we’re going exploring!” Velocite UK (@Velocite_Bikes) welcomes the possibility of a ‘Right to Roam’ law in Wales.
“Car helmets would reduce injuries to drivers by 44 per cent, so why isn’t the car lobby campaigning for them?” Bike mechanic and cycle instructor Michael Frearson (@mcfrearson) questions the logic behind the car lobby calling for cyclists to be forced to wear helmets.
“So much for 2012’s sporting legacy. 5 to 6! Who are these jobsworths and how are they in charge?” Bike mechanic George Richardson (@GE03RDGE) has his say on Broxtowe Council’s rejection of the Oxylane Village.
“Better bike infrastructure needed to get kids on bikes, says AA prez. Now there’s an insight... Doh!” North Coast Fixed Gear Collective NI (@RIDESURFCOFFEE) fears the AA president’s call for improved cycle conditions to boost kids on bikes might be stating the obvious.
...Maybe folks are out and about, and shopping doesn’t appeal in this weather. I know that for me, getting out and away is the priority, rather than being in a shop. I hope the good summer will get more folks on bikes, who will then flood the shops later, as they have now ‘taken up’ cycling, and look to improve their ride. Rowan Goodfellow DeBonaire
“Good to see @BikeBizOnline cover our push for a Strict Liability regime for cyclists and pedestrians.” Cycling Accident Lawyer Brenda Mitchell (@Cyclelaw1) is calling for presumed liability in Scotland.
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