should bike shops continue selling bikes?

[Tootyred]

I see your dilemma. You will never compete with the pile it high, low margin, bulk sales guys....but you still want to catch the odd customer.

Honestly, I would stop selling bikes...its s big blob of cash to tie up and if the year ticks over, its old model stock....suddenly worth even less.

People now seem to work entirely from reviews....to the point that my local specialized shop was almost affronted by my asking to ride a bike! "Why..its got good reviews" .

How about offering set up, bike fit, first service type arrangements for buyers of new bikes....

 

[warpedboy2]

The last time I bought a new bike was in 1997, and even then it was just the frame.

From what I have seen from my LBS, it's lower end stuff that shifts.

 

[enigma]

My lbs is on the list of grumps you rightly discounted from discussion at the beginning. But there's a relevance there because like all trades or retail customers moan it's cheaper on amazon etc..
So let them and when it's cheaper to fox than send back they will come knocking and you can probably make more than a sale on a new bike?

Also I've been to a few town single store old skool shops on my travels in the UK, and as someone said actually nowadays there's probably a lot more mileage in decent affordable secondhand.
I've been in a couple that had masses of current and retrobike era kit, and many secondhand bikes which they were known for. Genuine people in lbs who pedal in there sleep aren't deserved by new e bike people anyways.

The two best examples I've been in many times both, in Ambleside and Hayle and they've been there for decades..
I agree with others unless you carve a niche a range of new is probably not a thing and I agree with you these old shops are being forced out just like many would entrants to the hobby.


Cycling was mental in c9vid etc, now I barely see any roadies, whereas they were like ants round here that year, and mtb much reduced also.
People can't get there head round getting a decent retro and enjoying it they succumb to a disappointing carrera or give uo when they see the rrp on gravel fad nonsense.

If you run a pool proper bike shop then I imagine if you are friendly the right people find you no bother.

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

Ultimately Jon, you know if you WANT to sell bikes or not, and the answer may not be the same as whether you SHOULD sell bikes (financially speaking). Slow sales and low margins - that's a passion project, not a business.

IMO, unless you can stock enough sizes and a wide enough price range, it doesn't sound like it makes sense? (coming from a guy that has bought two new bikes since 1992...).

ok, tough one, relevant to my shop. now before you answer please don't let this turn in to a "my local guy is a miserable git" ...

thoughts?

ButButBut... you ARE my local guy!

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

If you run a pool proper bike shop then I imagine if you are friendly the right people find you no bother.

That's Jon screwed then.

 

[jonnyboy666]

@My_Teenage_Self so harsh!!

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

 

[greencat]

I've think you've said before there's no money in bikes, and yet they take up a significant amount of your reserves and don't turnover quickly. It makes no sense to keep doing it.

I wonder there are other models eg partnering with local bike charities who could supply the bikes (they get another outlet, you get stock with no money down and a small profit on each one), or making recommendations of what to buy online based on assessing customer needs/size etc (and having an affiliate relationship with online bike companies so you get a small kick back for each sale). You might also offer a check over/set up service for people ordering those bikes.

I haven't bought a new bike from a shop since about 2002. But plenty of my mountain biking friends, especially the ebikers, have just wandered into the local bike shop and on a whim just dropped £5-7K on an ebike. Most of them in their late 50s/60s - retired or semi-retired - with a bit of spare cash in their pocket. These are people who are not obscenely wealthy either, they just like riding and getting to the age where it's a ebike or they have to stop riding. These are the customers you want. It tends to be a younger ones who buy online, and who are value sensitive.

 

[N-plus-one]

This is the Don Qixote dilemma. You really really want to tilt at windmills but learn that it's ultimately futile (and painful). Online discounters are the windmills in my analogy. So if you cant beat them, how do you live with them? Ans: find something that they cant/dont/wont do. I've recently been harassing multiple LBS for a Shimano cleat screw. I simply dont want to replace an entire pedal for want of a single (bespoke) screw. It was an LBS in Wiltshire who found one such screw in his box of non-liquorice allsorts. I paid him the equiv of a new pedal to show my gratitude. Had I been resident in Wilts, I'd have given him my routine repeat custom.

So my suggestion is being a mentor, font of wisdom, providing the level and spectrum of service that the interweb businesses cant/dont/wont. As others here have said:

1. Repairs.
2. Setups.
3. Parts.
4. accessories/clothing etc
5. adopt a local club and be their broom wagon/service wagon.

I'm sure there must be other topics, but I lack imagination.

 

[novocaine]

This is the Don Qixote dilemma. You really really want to tilt at windmills but learn that it's ultimately futile (and painful). Online discounters are the windmills in my analogy. So if you cant beat them, how do you live with them? Ans: find something that they cant/dont/wont do. I've recently been harassing multiple LBS for a Shimano cleat screw. I simply dont want to replace an entire pedal for want of a single (bespoke) screw. It was an LBS in Wiltshire who found one such screw in his box of non-liquorice allsorts. I paid him the equiv of a new pedal to show my gratitude. Had I been resident in Wilts, I'd have given him my routine repeat custom.

So my suggestion is being a mentor, font of wisdom, providing the level and spectrum of service that the interweb businesses cant/dont/wont. As others here have said:

1. Repairs.
2. Setups.
3. Parts.
4. accessories/clothing etc
5. adopt a local club and be their broom wagon/service wagon.

I'm sure there must be other topics, but I lack imagination.

maybe sell pictures of girls on bikes. it seems to be popular.