should bike shops continue selling bikes?

[brocklanders023]

I’d have defo been in the keep selling bikes camp in the past as going and actually looking, feeling and just falling for a bike were all part of what made me change what I was riding. From getting the bus as a child to drool over exotica sold in the next town (then buyer a lower spec version) to more pragmatic purchases as an adult where I drove to the nearest dealer, actually getting hands on and viewing played a huge part in what I bought.

Unfortunately my best lbs shut when a big boy sponsored shop opened, the next town shop gambled on the TDF route, lost and shut and my other favourites either shut or went online.
I was interested in a carbon hardtail 18 months ago that the big boy sponsored shop sold so I went for a look. Wasn’t in stock, all they had were a few road and gravel bikes downstairs then a load of Dutch style electric bikes upstairs. Then their rent went up so they also closed.

Unfortunately I’ve given up on bike shops for bikes and only really use them for parts and accessories. When you see Santa Cruz offering 50% off, Specialized 50% off and Orange selling £2.5k rrp frames for £800 the writing is on the wall unfortunately, at least for the time being.

I guess the mega discounts can’t last and rrp’s are maybe becoming more realistic so there may be a time when bike shops selling bikes is viable again?

 

[Woz]

No business is better than bad business. There's so much inventory already out there. The last proper LBS I went to only sold custom made bikes; they would have perhaps one or two show bikes and that was it. Common spares, the workshop and wheel building was the main thing and they were very successful at that and built a solid reputation.

 

[greencat]

Loss leaders can work, but only if they actually do result in successful upselling and fairly quickly. I wouldn't go anywhere near them on high ticket items where you are paying to hold inventory such as bikes in a small bike shop that was living some what hand to mouth though. Undoubtably, business like Halfords etc probably do make most of their profit on bikes from upselling accessories, clothing, maintenance plans etc.