INTERNET OR LOCAL BIKE SHOP

[dannomyte]

Peter's not ignoring anything. That's your assumption. His statements in the past have acknowledged the success and growth of internet sales. With that said, there is and will be a lot lost if LBSs disappear or decrease even more in number. The only thing that internet shops provide is cheaper prices. They don't provide after purchase. They don't necessarily provide quality customer service or any at all. They don't necessarily provide a path or help with warrantee claims. They're not part of any community, where people actually interact face to face. They don't provide fitting services.

Before the internet, it was just as possible to find and order parts that your LBS didn't have. The difference now is that customers are pretty lazy. Anything beyond a Google search is just about out of the question.

As for product being cheapened as Peter alleges, it does happen. Just because you don't see it in your part of the world, doesn't mean it's going on. It happens in more markets than cycling, too.

Your claim about a bike shop being able to better control it's inventory by having an internet shop holds no water. It makes no sense whatsoever. Perhaps your LBS sucks, but there are many LBS that manage their inventory well.

Your remarks seem pretty dismissive of the LBS.

HOLD on there Alien. I wasn't trying to single anyone out. I am merely saying, as YOU are, that if retailers continue to ignore the fact that there is an online market out there that is growing, that in some cases their future will be in question. I'm not an idiot, I know the limitations of online sales vs. the LBS.

No, still never seen product get cheapened. Shop wisely is all I can say.

My arguement about inventory control holds a lot of water. That fact you think it doesn't is just your opinion. If I were an LBS owner, I would be daunted by the sheer number of SKUs available out there. What do you carry? What brand? What color? What size? and on and on and on. If you've been a consumer of cycling products at all, you should understand this. My point is that by having the ability to offer an online portal of some kind, perhaps with the option to have instore pickup as some shops already do, then they are opening up a whole new world of opportunity.... AND they don't have to carry as many SKUs thereby helping with inventory management. It's hard to understand.. I know.

I've spent over 4000K at my local bike shop since I've gotten into cycling. You seem to be the one making all the assumption around here!

 

[frenchyge]

I've spent over 4000K at my local bike shop since I've gotten into cycling.

Is that $4M Canadian??? Dang!! I bet they shut down the store when you want to shop, like when Paris Hilton goes to Rodeo Drive.

 

[Peter@vecchios]

HOLD on there Alien. I wasn't trying to single anyone out. I am merely saying, as YOU are, that if retailers continue to ignore the fact that there is an online market out there that is growing, that in some cases their future will be in question. I'm not an idiot, I know the limitations of online sales vs. the LBS.

No, still never seen product get cheapened. Shop wisely is all I can say.

My arguement about inventory control holds a lot of water. That fact you think it doesn't is just your opinion. If I were an LBS owner, I would be daunted by the sheer number of SKUs available out there. What do you carry? What brand? What color? What size? and on and on and on. If you've been a consumer of cycling products at all, you should understand this. My point is that by having the ability to offer an online portal of some kind, perhaps with the option to have instore pickup as some shops already do, then they are opening up a whole new world of opportunity.... AND they don't have to carry as many SKUs thereby helping with inventory management. It's hard to understand.. I know.

I've spent over 4000K at my local bike shop since I've gotten into cycling. You seem to be the one making all the assumption around here!

Not 'recognizing' online resellers or recognizing means nothing. A dumb LBS tries to match prices without the volume of online or tries to be everything to everybody.

YOU wrote-"My point is that by having the ability to offer an online portal of some kind, perhaps with the option to have instore pickup as some shops already do, then they are opening up a whole new world of opportunity.... AND they don't have to carry as many SKUs thereby helping with inventory management. It's hard to understand.. I know."

Not hard to understand but not accurate either.

Having an online store doubles or triples having a single site. It NEVER makes it more simple because you have to add phones, customer reps, shipping, billing(plumbing for credit card processing) and the thing nobody mentions, processing the about 20% returns..far higher than brick and mortar. It sure ain't about SKUs.

Smart LBS' recognize, define their market and actively pursue that market. If they see online doing well, and assume they will 'cash in', most will end up cashing out...of business. Online retail isn't the answer to anything, just another way to do the same business, the same except service, which online will never replace.

I prefer my customers face to face, thank you. Even tho there might be a online market out there for me, I choose to stay 'local'.

 

[dannomyte]

Is that $4M Canadian??? Dang!! I bet they shut down the store when you want to shop, like when Paris Hilton goes to Rodeo Drive.

LOL.. yeah that is CDN$ .... but we're almost at par now!

 

[dannomyte]

Not 'recognizing' online resellers or recognizing means nothing. A dumb LBS tries to match prices without the volume of online or tries to be everything to everybody.

YOU wrote-"My point is that by having the ability to offer an online portal of some kind, perhaps with the option to have instore pickup as some shops already do, then they are opening up a whole new world of opportunity.... AND they don't have to carry as many SKUs thereby helping with inventory management. It's hard to understand.. I know."

Not hard to understand but not accurate either.

Having an online store doubles or triples having a single site. It NEVER makes it more simple because you have to add phones, customer reps, shipping, billing(plumbing for credit card processing) and the thing nobody mentions, processing the about 20% returns..far higher than brick and mortar. It sure ain't about SKUs.

Smart LBS' recognize, define their market and actively pursue that market. If they see online doing well, and assume they will 'cash in', most will end up cashing out...of business. Online retail isn't the answer to anything, just another way to do the same business, the same except service, which online will never replace.

I prefer my customers face to face, thank you. Even tho there might be a online market out there for me, I choose to stay 'local'.

Thank you for your constructive feedback Peter@vecchios. I, for one, stress that I will continue to support my LBS where I can. I have a lot of respect for what they do and the knowledge they have.

 

[Peter@vecchios]

Thank you for your constructive feedback Peter@vecchios. I, for one, stress that I will continue to support my LBS where I can. I have a lot of respect for what they do and the knowledge they have.

Glad to hear it. I think as the world economy improves, there is room for all sorts of bicycle retail 'models'. Like in any biz, the dumb/bad ones will go under, the good ones won't and generally that means the cyclist wins. Now go ride your BIKE!

 

[roubaixjoe]

Man I didn't mean to start such a thread but....
one issue was no local bike shop even though listed as a Selle Italia retailer and some listed with the "test program" stocked any saddles. I can say if one had the saddle in question in "stock" I may have just bought it there. But when they said "we can order it for you" well my deal was, "heck, not really what I said, but I can Just order it myself for less". If your going to have a "store front" stock is important to making a sale.

 

[alienator]

If your going to have a "store front" stock is important to making a sale.

Stock appropriate for the demands of local riders, in general, is important, but that stock also has to fit in with the store's budget. I know of very few--very few--stores that stock a wide variety of saddles. A big stock costs a lot of money.

 

[Peter@vecchios]

Man I didn't mean to start such a thread but....
one issue was no local bike shop even though listed as a Selle Italia retailer and some listed with the "test program" stocked any saddles. I can say if one had the saddle in question in "stock" I may have just bought it there. But when they said "we can order it for you" well my deal was, "heck, not really what I said, but I can Just order it myself for less". If your going to have a "store front" stock is important to making a sale.

Bad news for you but a look at the current QBP catalog, probably the biggest distributor on earth, shows somewhere around 250 different saddles. At a wholesale average price of about $65, that's over $16,000 in just saddles. Ya gotta stock what sells of what ya think sells. Sometomes ya win, sometimes ya don't.