DEALER PROFILE Edd’s Bikes
Edd’s Bikes managed a few firsts during our visit – including being the first to sell a bike (two, actually) while being interviewed
The rolling rat
Opening Times: 9am to 6pm weekdays. Closed Tuesday. Sunday
10am to 2pm Telephone: 01438 220401
Web:
eddsbikes.co.uk Email:
edd@eddsbike.com
LET’S START with an incredible stat by bike industry standards – Edd’s Bikes claims to have broken even on the business’s initial costs only two thirds into its first year of business. Typically brand new cycle retail businesses, if they make it that far, can expect to break even within the second year if they’re lucky, third as an average. (Though we’re open to hearing stories of your store’s timescales). In the first six months in business Edd’s has done a turnover of £157,000, not bad for a first attempt at bike retail.
What exactly has Edd’s Bikes got going for it
that some may not? We’d assume it’s largely down to location – Edd’s 7,866 square foot store is based in a small out-of-town shopping district, bundled with bakers and takeaways, where overheads are considerably lower. There’s a reasonable passing footfall, but nothing like you’ll find in Stevenage’s town centre. In theory, Stevenage with all it’s segregated cycling infrastructure should be bustling with two wheel traffic, though bizarrely it’s never really taken off – more mopeds seem to use the lanes thanks to special permission from the council. “We think that our strong performance has come largely through customer retention,”
BIKEBIZ.COM
explains Littler. “Many of my current regulars have followed me from past stints in stores around Hertfordshire. We’ve been making a point of building a community around the shop, welcoming customers to come in for a chat or mid-ride break.” During BikeBiz’s visit the community nature
of Edd’s approach was evident, with two bikes sold at full retail price to customers during our stay. One customer was embarking on a charity ride in which Edd’s took great interest – understanding the challenges ahead, advising and kitting the customer out suitably. There’s a sofa with adjacent coffee table
decked out with leaflets ranging from local CTC rides to cycling advice to beginners. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers plays on a shop stereo creating a bit of atmosphere in which it’s pleasant to spend time. The store has personality, with Edd’s customised guitar hanging on the wall next to the caged shop rat Lola. Zippy from Rainbow sits among the mechanic’s workshop tools. It’s not often you see a shop embrace the characters behind the business, but we think it works, perhaps better than solely promoting the shop as a brand of sorts, something Edd’s also does.
“We’ve set Chinese
whispers of high security going among the local scallies, it’s
worked a treat!”
Edd was also the first to get his rat out for BikeBiz...
Facebook: /
edds.bikes.stevenage Twitter: @eddsbikes
There’s a rat in Edd’s bike shop, what are we gonna do? We’re going to fix that rat and a few bikes too. Mark Sutton talks to Edd Littler about his take on bike retail and how he’s broke even on his investment just eight months in…
“We’ve been down the newspaper
advertising route, but seemingly sold just one bike off over £1.5K worth of ads. They misprinted our address and we got more calls informing us of the mistake than we did asking about product. “Facebook has been huge for us. At any one time we’ll likely have customers using the messenger to ask questions about product and services. Our online presence beyond that will be a blog and a community forum, all sales take place in store.” With word of mouth promotion as successful
as it is for Edd’s, we were told even the local scallies are involved. “We found out who the local troublemakers
were early as they hang around outside the shop. We managed to snap a pic of a ringleader and then convince him that our CCTV was top of the line. One night our mechanic rode past the shop and found them near the shutters. Another Chinese whisper was started when we told them that disturbances to our shutters trigger an automatic text message to our mobiles. We’ve a few security measures in place, but they’re all convinced we’re armed to the teeth, it’s excellent.”
BIKEBIZ FEBRUARY 67
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