should bike shops continue selling bikes?

[sickpup]

My view is there isn't any money in selling new bikes. At one point Evans were selling Cannondales for less than other dealers were buying them.
There is likely more profit in used bikes and used vintage parts with less cost, look at the business model of 'Brick Lane Bikes'. It also gives you something to sort over winter when cyclist hibernate in preparation for sale come the spring.

 

[jonnyboy666]

hmm, i still torn on all this. my solution at the moment is to just try and sell what i have, new sales to order or from the click and collect websites, predominantly concentrate on repair as i have always done, the shop isn't struggling, i'm always busy, although it's been quiet this last month but that is normal for december, january is usually busy, february usually crap. we'll see what happens this year

 

[ChromeChainstay]

...yes

 

[Roasted]

I think buying habits have changed over the years with more people going to online options.

The last complete bike I bought was back in 1998, every bike I bought since have been in component form which I've assembled myself.

But if I was buying a complete bike again I'd probably buy at the end of the season to get a discount and would get it online.

The idea behind selling bikes in shops is that it should secure you with repeat business for spares and repairs. But is that worth it now if you're taking a loss on the initial bike sale?

I guess the best thing to do is wind the stock down to see if it makes much difference to business performance.

 

[danson67]

A bit like the car industry looks to me...The customer goes to whichever sort of shop/outlet is suitable for their current requirements, but they are distinctly different places:

Brand-specific sponsored outlets selling hyped new product direct to customer at very low margins. Income mainly from lease and credit agreement fees and sales bonuses from manufacturers. Cost and hassle of having a workshop supported by premium-priced main dealer servicing on the back of leases/warranties, but accompanied by limited historical product knowledge or basic problem-solving nouse.

Versus the small servicing garages with lower overheads, relatively little stock and some flexibility on which models/brands and specialisations to concentrate on, along with far better understanding of problem solving/history of brands and models etc....but no sales stock.

All the best,

 

[legrandefromage]

If you look at ebay and Facebook market place, there's loads of mid to high end bikes for very little of their original retail

Cars are another story altogether

Anectdotely ev are 50/50, company cars, Great, domestic purchases, poo

Car dealers are folding left right and centre, sales are down, parts availability is a mess, especially electronics

I used to have a little hifi shop, 25 years ago now, selling trade-in and secondhand, I would share my M&Ms with the mice that lived there. It was a lovely time but I feel for anyone trying to run a business in the current climate

 

[Woz]

I will never get why the comparison of bikes to cars here and how it pops it's head up.

A whole different mechanical beast, a whole different marketing budget and oh .... typically offered from companies already gone through rationalisation. I am a driver too. The only best thing is using retro music to advertise dross these days IMHO.

Is it a crime or can such threads stay in the realm and on topic of a bicycle and what the OP is asking about the bicycle industry?

 

[Woz]

While I had my outburst above. Selling anything recreational today is sadly on the back seat I believe.

My own belief is a corner is turned without the exit in sight.

 

[danson67]

I will never get why the comparison of bikes to cars here and how it pops it's head up.

A whole different mechanical beast, a whole different marketing budget and oh .... typically offered from companies already gone through rationalisation. I am a driver too. The only best thing is using retro music to advertise dross these days IMHO.

Is it a crime or can such threads stay in the realm and on topic of a bicycle and what the OP is asking about the bicycle industry?

My point was not really comparing cars and bikes, or their respective product offering. How, in a mature, global and well-rationalised industry such as cars, there seem to be distinct types of 'shops' in the car trade: brand dealers shifting new product on finance, and general servicers handling the lifetime product issues.

This seems to be becoming mirrored in the less-'rationalised' bike trade. Traditional bike industry retail has offered both new sales of specific brands and servicing of all brands and types of bike. On the one hand, we see chain or single-brand new bike shops and Direct To Customer sales with very restricted servicing of their own recent product. On the other, local general bike workshops moving away from new bike sales completely; with a wider spread of skills and knowledge, but no new sales stock.

All the best,