LBS expanding but moving out of town

[fossyant]

Not if your bike is broke

Who ever heard of anyone having just one bike !

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Who ever heard of anyone having just one bike !

Don't most people?

 

[PaulSB]

Many years ago my LBS moved literally across the road after buying an old pub. It provided a huge amount of extra space and a car park. I now spend much more there on consumables because I can see what they have.

The owner spoke to me about this and he said. "Remember the time you came in with XYZ and I said you know we do sell those" I had responded "I didn't know you had them because the place is so crowded I can't see what you have."

The owner told me that conversation was one of the things which helped him decide to buy the new premises.

An LBS needs space for proper displays just as any other retailer does. This LBS will hopefully do very well in what should be very good facilities. Three miles is nothing in this day and age.

 

[fossyant]

Don't most people?

What ? Shocked !

 

[mattobrien]

My LBS is 20 miles away from me and in a quiet village. It’s a special journey, but always worth making. There are probably 4 or 5 close bike shops, but they’re not my LBS and not as good. It’s worth making the trip.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

........They run and make a profit from more cycle shops than either you or I do, so the likelihood is that they have more experience, kbowledge and insight on the matter than you or I do as well.

Although it's not really the shop for me and I am not really the customer for them, it would be sad if the move was the wrong thing and led to their closure.

The problem with they know best is that it is very easy for the owners to believe some customers when they tell them what they want to here. For example the shop does a Saturday morning "club" run with tea and biscuits afterwards. This gives that portion of the customer base a much stronger voice without necessarily being representative of the amount that they spend.

.....I've set a reminder in Outlook to check in a year.

I would make that two or three years, if it is going to happen at all it will take that long for goodwill and market awareness to dissipate, especially as when they move the only option is a Halfords with a decent sized bike area.

Worcester has struggled to fill retail space for quite a long time and we have a large Sports Direct, so there is a real possibility that a chain may feel that it is time to open a branch. I can't see a chain taking the £2k plus sales, but the sub £1k bike sales and their associated accessories and sometimes servicing?

Many years ago my LBS moved literally across the road after buying an old pub. It provided a huge amount of extra space and a car park. I now spend much more there on consumables because I can see what they have.

The owner spoke to me about this and he said. "Remember the time you came in with XYZ and I said you know we do sell those" I had responded "I didn't know you had them because the place is so crowded I can't see what you have."

The owner told me that conversation was one of the things which helped him decide to buy the new premises.

An LBS needs space for proper displays just as any other retailer does. This LBS will hopefully do very well in what should be very good facilities. Three miles is nothing in this day and age.

In this example the shop hasn't really moved though. :-)

The small consumable's range is why I don't shop at the shop now but in your case they were selling what you wanted. After asking and being told no but we can order them in, I stopped asking as I can order things in too.

So yes an increase in space could lead to an increase in consumables but we will have to wait and see, as it may have been space or it may have been that's not the market they want to be in.

Yes the new shop will be within easy reach for those who are fans, but what about those who are not dedicated fans merely happy customers using a convenient shop?

A coffee shop is great for the community of enthusiast but one non enthusiast paying £50 for a service is also of great value to the business.

Are they going to end up with a really happy dedicated customer base and find that a lot more was spent by those who weren't emotionally attached to the shop?

I know a few people who have servicing done there who don't have cars.

He reckons walk in trade of any value is minimal, and car parking provision will easily make up any loss.

It is not obvious though when the location and an inconsequential sale leads to a high value sale, for example someone who bought a pair of cycling shoes for spin class may be about to buy a bike as the effects of gym closures makes him question his membership.

Today that person will go to the new location. But what about a year in the future when they have forgotten about or never heard of the shop and buy their shoes from Halfords or Sports Direct?

Bye

Ian

 

[PeteXXX]

Leisure Lakes, in Daventry, moved from a smaller oldish back street premises near the town centre to a new shiny chrome mezzanine floored place on a retail park.
Yes, you could see the stock more easily and have a pricey coffee if you were prepared to wait ages.
I would imagine that it was a big jump in costs for them with higher rent, more staff etc.
It looks very 'chain store' now, and too me, has lost it's soul.

 

[biggs682]

My lbs has been in the same place for 30 years although I have not been in since 2019 due to covid .
Just hope that they will still be there when we eventually can get out and about again

 

[T4tomo]

So the OP is moaning about a shop(s) he never uses consolidating to one premise (presumably the alternative is going out of business due to the cost of running 2 city centre location) which should give a much better experience to the vast majority who can get there (lets face it, "no car" families are the minority) and he's worried Betty from the spinning class might not know where it is, when in reality she's probably more likely to drive past it in its new location than in the town centre?

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

For example the shop does a Saturday morning "club" run with tea and biscuits afterwards. This gives that portion of the customer base a much stronger voice without necessarily being representative of the amount that they spend.

Same thing happens near here. The riders may buy a few consumables, but few buy full bikes from them. Town centre location in a relatively affluent area means overheads and prices are high.

Same shop recently quoted £125 to replace a spoke. Customer had to buy a full pack of spokes for his Mavic wheel. £45, although he could keep the unused spokes for spares, and £80 for fitting and truing! Guy went down the road to my LBS and had it done for £25.

Some shops take regular customers for mugs.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

So the OP is moaning about a shop(s) he never uses consolidating to one premise (presumably the alternative is going out of business due to the cost of running 2 city centre location) which should give a much better experience to the vast majority who can get there (lets face it, "no car" families are the minority) and he's worried Betty from the spinning class might not know where it is, when in reality she's probably more likely to drive past it in its new location than in the town centre?

It might be worth rereading my posts as there is a difference between moaning and being interested in the fate of a local business.

The closure of local bike shops is often discussed on this site and here we have a real world example of one doing something unusual.

The two shops are well established with town centre locations and represent a very strong barrier to entry for a newcomer yet they are giving up the location part of their dominant market position and moving to better facilities in a worse location.

I understand that watching this happen is of no interest to you and others, however your lack of interest doesn't preclude me and possibly others from being interested and possibly learning some valuable lessons.

Bye

Ian

 

[Milkfloat]

It seems rare that a small LBS that upgrades to a bigger out of town premises fails - the whole market is going that way, especially with online sales. In the case of Leisure Lakes they went from pretty small LBS unknown outside of the area to a large nationally known retailer. Rutland Cycling did the same and countless others. The days of the pokey LBS on a minor road near a town centre are well and truly numbered, they either go bust, move into servicing only from a van or industrial estate and some make the leap into big flagship stores.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

The two shops are well established with town centre locations and represent a very strong barrier to entry for a newcomer yet they are giving up the location part of their dominant market position and moving to better facilities in a worse location.

I'm not sure you are correct on this, yes 25 years ago but I'm not sure it still stands today, 3 miles on a retail park is nothing as most people will have come into town in a car anyway & will prefer the ease of free parking.

But look at it from the owners side, he has currently 2 properties to maintain, presumably at high rates, they maybe able to sell them depending on ownership etc. but if rented the chances are the the 2 rents will be more than the retail park rent. They will have all the stock in one place rather than having to move it between shops, all the paperwork will all be in the same place, they might only need 1 shop manager rather than 2, maybe they can offer extended opening hours due to consolidation of staff, they maybe able to offer bigger choice, better services etc. From outside with the little knowledge of the particular circumstances it makes sense.

It's very annoying as a customer to go into the JE James shop in Sheffield have to wait 20 minutes to be able to ask a question only to be told it's in this shop & you have to go over the road to their other one & start the wait again, only then to find they have no stock in Sheffield & it's in Rotherham.

The other thing could be that whoever owns it has had enough & has been bought out & it's actually the new owners who are doing all the changes.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

It seems rare that a small LBS that upgrades to a bigger out of town premises fails - the whole market is going that way, especially with online sales. In the case of Leisure Lakes they went from pretty small LBS unknown outside of the area to a large nationally known retailer. Rutland Cycling did the same and countless others. The days of the pokey LBS on a minor road near a town centre are well and truly numbered, they either go bust, move into servicing only from a van or industrial estate and some make the leap into big flagship stores.

That is why I created the post, it is an opportunity for those who are interested to watch it happen.

Given that the results will take years to see there aren't going to be many specialist shops that I know do such a thing.

Worcester struggles with mid to high end hifi, a few shops have tried it in the town centre and the demand just doesn't seem to be there, whereas the demand is clearly still there for enthusiast level bikes.

Bye

Ian

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

I'm not sure you are correct on this, yes 25 years ago but I'm not sure it still stands today, 3 miles on a retail park is nothing as most people will have come into town in a car anyway & will prefer the ease of free parking........

There are a lot of good points here and that is why I find the move so interesting and worth following, it makes sense for the owners, but will the customers follow?

Bye

Ian