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Bike Shop Evolution. Coffee, Or More Services?

3K views 44 replies 30 participants last post by  MoPho 
#1 · (Edited)
Okay, for the frame work I spent almost the last 20 years in bike industry, and working in shops WITH Training Center, Coffee, Etc and shops without.

IF YOU go back to, or are in a period in which you were looking for shop would you rather have Good Coffee, Training Center, Etc over things like Bicycle Repair Pick-Up and Drop-Off/Mobile Repair?

Other additions would be parts delivery to your home/office. Does having these services overcome things like having more room for assembled bicycles, having more repair bays/faster turn around? Perhaps a service stand you can rent hourly?

To remove some variables the shops I mention would have true in-store coffee shop space and baristas, as well as dedicated training center space.

Discuss
 
#2 · (Edited)
Teo! Dude! Long time no see! Howzit hangin'?

Anyway, to get to your questions:

I'd much rather have a shop that is a good place to hang out than enhanced repair facilities. I'm at the phase where I do my own work, and I don't buy bikes or components from a shop, nor am I buying parts other than lube and tubes. I will buy clothes and some accessories from a shop, but that's it. I, however, may not be a typical consumer.

The "rent a work stand" deal is actually pretty cool. We have a bike co-op near us that does a decent business helping folks work on their bikes. The real value there is having someone available who can walk a budding mechanic through a job and having tools available. They wisely don't let the noobs use the more expensive tools, like bb taps, reamers and the like, but that's fine.

EDIT: my buddies and I have been kicking around the concept of a bike "clubhouse" and hang out for a while. Sort of a coffee place really geared toward cyclists, with beer taps and trainers for winter or night training sessions. Group rides. Tour watching parties. Paris Roubaix watching parties. Parties in general. Workstands and some tools. And a storage area where you can hide that bike that you didn't tell your spouse that you bought. Maybe a membership thing. Don't know if it would generate enough $$ to be viable in the DC area. You would need a really cheap rent.

EDIT II: other thought with the clubhouse would be to get a QBP distributorship so that "members" could order parts at wholesale.

Greg
 
#6 ·
I'm good! I'll get in touch directly and your contact via PM, I have done some work on the clubhouse aspect and have a couple things that may help. The storage thing makes me laugh, I had a manager in my early days that only bought red bikes and because he'd been auto industry had some good painters to work with when he wanted one that didn't come in red.
 
#3 ·
Call me a Luddite, but my priorities in a bike shop are any shop with honest and talented mechanics and salespeople, period. I don't need gimmickery added to my LBS experience. :)
 
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#20 ·
I don't need gimmickery added to my LBS experience. :)
YOU may not, but there's a constant turnover in cycling aficionados and the bike shops have to keep relevant. Reinventing yourself with changes in the market is the way to succeed. I DO agree with you however; I don't need flash, just knowledgeable people, or at least those who know where to look for the answers.

Add a coffee shop to the bike shop? Great idea if the shop can be the focal point for group rides, meet ups, whatever. If the shop's location doesn't lend itself to that, then don't bother. Remember the maxim, "Location, location, location."

A spin class studio would be a great idea if space and finances allow. Even linking a bike shop to a fitness center would work under the right circumstances. Space for WINTER training would be a big seller even if just for the social aspect-many people are holed up in the basement for the winter. It would be fun and worth it to bring my bike and rollers to a studio on a weekend day and ride with others even in a non-structured class.

More bikes on display? My mind always sees more of ANYTHING on display as an indication the shop might have what I want. That includes parts and accessories. Yes to more bikes on display.

Repair or parts pickup/delivery? I don't need it but if you have a busy market and can charge for the service, by all means do it. Makes me think of dry cleaning.
 
#4 ·
1. Urban "cycling lifestyle" stores. There are already a few of these here in Chicago. Focused on commuters, fashion and no lycra. They sell bikes in addition to non-bike stuff. Lots of Dutch-style bikes and cycling clothing that doesn't look like cycling clothing.
2. High end direct sales. This will be primarily on the internet but we'll see more small shops that sell their own brands, kind of like Franco. Very little kept in stock, bikes are ordered on demand. Fit services and aesthetic customization studios. Reasonable but high prices. These are already starting to take over in Europe. They'll steal sales tactics and design from the Apple store.
3. Pop-up / home based / mobile mechanic services. Very low overhead, higher margins, owner-operated. Internet-facilitated scheduling. I have my doubts about this business model but we'll probably see more people giving it a try.
4. Super nichey stores. Gravel-focused, MTB focused, tri focused, high end Italian focused etc. They'll sell carefully "curated" collections of bikes / apparel / parts that have a shared aesthetic "vision". Small stores with strong senses of style.
5. The $400 hybrid market is ceded entirely to big box / department stores.
 
#5 ·
Thing with tech-support and retail only locations.....they're honestly a dime a dozen. One does you wrong (real or imagined) you can find another easily in most urban areas.



Shops that have personality and are a hangout aren't that way. Although I'll admit I'm seldom in a shop long enough but for a doodad or pickup/dropoff a job.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the thoughtful, detailed response. I was more looking for opinion over the variations in current market, I probably should have mad this a Poll, but wanted to see where peoples passion and fire were. If you went back to the time in which you would/could have formed some interest in having a shop to deal with would you look at a shop with less footprint and selection over one that was half lifestyle center.
 
#8 ·
I'd prefer a Pro shop with great mechanics and without parents buying Comfort bikes for themselves, and BMX style bikes for their kids. Oh yeah.....and prices only 10-15% higher than online prices.............It also wouldn't hurt to have women mechanics that you can pretend to flirt with.
 
#9 ·
I like the idea of social space for cyclists. Lounge area, coffee/beer, a few work stands and TV's. Maybe a pool table. Repair and parts delivery do not interest me any, but several of the guys I ride with on occasion don't seem to do much of their own work or parts sourcing. So yes, I would like the entertainment and training angle better than the sales/repair, although I think it might be difficult to generate revenue from that except through maybe beverage sales.

As a business outsider, it seems to me the big difficulty in cycling retail is the ability to be all things to all people. I would think that probably the biggest revenue source is the entry to mid level rider who doesn't do his/her own repairs and isn't savvy enough to buy his/her own bike but the most reliable source would be a guy like me (middle aged, fair amount of disposable income) but I don't generally buy new bikes and if I were, it would not be the mainstream types offered in most non-urban bike shops. Anyway I think a social space would be the best way to bring a guy like me into a shop.
 
#13 ·
Grew up in our family's bike shop. There were always hangers-on and friends hanging out. I kind of enjoyed it as mechanic, sales guy. So the idea of making it more formal with coffee, seating and such sound very appealing to me. However .. I have been in bike shops that had a coffee bar .. and the coffee bar was disused and standoffish. unappealing due to the snobby lousy service attitude of the staff (I am talking about YOU Trek bike store in Victoria BC!), never seemed to be any0one manning the coffee bar

I do not buy parts and service from bike shops much. In fact in this age of pretty much every bike part available cheap online and most enthusiasts doing their own wrenching, I think it is more cool to have a upscale coffee shop or cafe with a small bike shop / repair shop component to it. Instead of a formal bike shop as the focus. I have seen some like this on the Cycling Maven youtube channel .. and kind of wish they had something like that here to stop in during a ride for coffee or lunch, bikes inside. maybe a 80% cafe, 20% bike shop is a better mix.

but the main shortcoming of perhaps a majority of bike shops here is: BAD ATTITUDE of the staff. And I know all about it, having worked in 4 bike shops myself in the 80s, seen it all too often. Around here it is a serious issue, and a huge turnoff. I am in small business myself and know that attitude is 90% of the consideration when hiring and training staff .. so it amazes me that so many bike shop owners have never come to realize this. In fact, in retrospect I don't think my dad focused on it enough back in the days we had a shop, 70s 80s, though he did build a loyal following of enthusiasts and casual riders too.
 
#15 ·
seldom use a shop, so place little to no importance on social amenities...coffee bar, seating, pool tables (huh?) seem kinda silly...just set up a Keurig dispenser if you need to offer java. way cheaper than hiring a barista...

competent wrenches, reasonable T/A times are the most desirable things to me.

counter help with at least a detectable personality is always nice too.

but, a shop isn't going to survive on income from people like me, so they should figure out what their target market wants and cater to that...
 
#16 ·
Plus one to good customer service, hawt female wrench, and lounging space. We take coffee for granted. Throw a bigscreen TV in there to play old races and live feeds.

When I worked in several shops while in college from '78-'81, we seemed okay with the customer service angle. One time even a cute highschooler girl mechanic (she could barely swap out a tube...that's not code) worked for us, but we would've ruled with a lounge area and good coffee. Nobody much thought of that crap back then.
 
#19 ·
I am turned off by pretentiousness so a fancy coffee bar wouldn't get me in the door. I do a lot of my own work but there are certain things I am willing to pay for that require knowledge and experience. I like a shop that doesn't seem confused when you mention Campy. While I like the idea of a hot female mechanic, at 54 I can't see any scenario where me being involved wouldn't be creepy
 
#21 ·
For constant revenue you'll want to focus on children and commuters. You can still carry high end stuff, of course, but people who are into that will always be looking for bike shops no matter what. You want to cater to the lower budget crowds and build rapport. It's especially hard to build value in a quality LBS bike for a teenager after their parents have been buying them $150 Walmart bikes their whole lives.
 
#22 · (Edited)
We just have a family bike shop in town and I do not really go there very often. I do not need a mechanic and as you know tires and such are cheaper at Nashbar or similar places.



I cannot think of anything they could do to get me to go hang out. Some attraction might work for others or maybe not. I do not know.
 
#25 ·
I think every market, and even neighborhoods within markets have different interests.

I live in the Seattle metro area.

We have everything from large, almost conglomerate style shops that have a large physical presence and multiple storefronts, we have 'Cafe' and 'Studio' style places that cater to high end special order stuff only. We have a strong single storefront shop that is also an online dealer. We have several "Performance" shops, and there are still quite a few smaller, neighborhood shops that try to specialize in some niche (touring/gravel, commuting, etc...).

All of them seem to be doing fairly well, although the smaller shops, especially those that deal heavily in used bikes seem to be having a harder time.

The bigger shops, especially those with an online presence are doing the best by far (all are looking to expand into more storefronts)..

For me, my preference is for a shop to be well stocked with consumables, clothing, shoes, and other accessories, and have a decent selection of bikes available to peruse. I mostly do my own maintenance, but having a helpful friendly service staff is nice to have for some things.

I'm far more likely to spend money at the shop (vs online, or not at all) if they have 'stuff' I need or want to try. I would have never purchased a set of high end carbon wheels if I had not had the opportunity to 'Demo' them for a weekend.

My favorite shop does have a place to sit down and 'talk shop', with an espresso machine handy. I'm personally not a coffee drinker, so it doesn't really affect me one way or the other. This is not a factor in me going there to 'hang out'...

It also has a training center/lab. I have met some good riding partners through the training center (I usually do about 20 session there a year during the off season - starting in January through March).

This shop also has a 'club' membership of sorts, although membership hinges on having purchased a bike (spend more than $1k over a calendar year I believe). It gives a 15% discount on almost everything (some exclusions apply *cough* GARMIN *cough*). The 15% also includes special orders from QPB or any other supplier. I can call or email if there is something I need, and they can usually order it and have it in the store in 2-3 days. Their prices (with the discount) are competitive with online prices, and now, with Shimano's recent price changes, sometimes even cheaper.

I just recently purchased a new frame, and when I priced out the components I wanted, mostly shimano stuff, their quoted prices for almost all of it was cheaper that I could find at online retailers. If you factor in the sales tax, it was slightly higher, but not enough to warrant buying online.
 
#26 ·
I have always wanted to visit Seattle. I spent time in Portland but nothing north of that. I guess it would be fun to browse around some of those shops that you have. At least in Seattle people would appreciate fenders.

Probably some film photographers around. Those B/W street shooters are an odd bunch but fun to talk to.
 
#27 · (Edited)
If you are running group rides out of the shop I can see the need for a lounge/coffee bar.
If it's just sales and repair, then make those people wander the store. I know that I always end up buying some damn thing when I'm waiting around for a part or repair.

I guess it depends on just how much you promote the social side of riding as to the need for a clubhouse feel. Also what sort of cycling community you are trying to appeal to.

As for training center, those things seem to be filled up if you have plenty of the tech stuff. The lower end ones, not so much
 
#29 ·
one thing i have seen some "cool" shops do: have a certain time of the week when you have a keg of some local beer. like friday, 4:30-7pm. Get ppl used to stopping by to chat, have a cup or two, maybe pick up smaller items, and then cruise on home.

to the degree that this might be legal, maybe change it up, and do the same for a mountain stage of a GT, final 2 hrs of a classic, etc.
 
#32 ·
I look for my coffee place to have good coffee. I also go to to a local bike shop for service but bought my last two bike at other locations. Bottom line i'm an a-la-carte person. The place I bought my Firefly is too far away and expensive for repair and the place i bought my c-59 is also a little out of the way. I like drinking cortado's on my rides and the best place for that is a cofee/donut place at a good mid-point of my ride.
 
#33 ·
I'm gong to answer again in a different manner. in my view many of the most successful bike shops these days are along popular bike routes. they benefit from being at the start/end of a ride where people can buy the higher margin things, such as coffee, spare tubes , clothing and yes some will stop by and check out new bikes. location can matter a great deal and getting people to hang out in the store is a huge plus for the merchant. it's just not my thing.
 
#34 ·
When I got into road cycling, I was attracted to shops that had bikes, parts, cycling apparel, and repair service.

I bought my last bike from a shop located in an aging strip mall. The shop reminded me a lot of the old style hardware stores, not fancy at all. The owner was very friendly and an excellent mechanic. If he was not too busy, he would handle a small repair job on the spot, let me watch, and teach me something. This was my favorite shop.

When people asked me where to buy a bike, I directed them to this shop, and a few of those bought bikes from him.

He had bikes, parts a'plenty, and some apparel.

Another shop in the area had coffee available in "pumper" thermos containers. They would always ask if I wanted a bottle of water or some coffee. Nice place. It was convenient, along a MUT. Mostly, I bought bike clothes from them. It was one of the trendy stores in the area.
 
#35 ·
There is an LBS downtown PHX with a coffee shop and limited menu of good healthy eats. The LBS owner rents the space to the owner of the coffee place. Really enjoy the symbiotic relationship and from my limited knowledge each business is doing better because of the other...

My priority are overwhelmingly a good experienced/knowledgable mechanic above everything else. Then knowledgable no BS staff. Then I guess swag selection. Then the coffee thing.
 
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