Punkawallah
Veteran
I live to serve :-)
What do you think will happen to the UK bike retail industry?
- Thread starter Cycleops
- Start date
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I live to serve :-)
bikingdad90
Guru
Godley cycles owned by Paul Godley is still going but now resides in fletchers farm in great ayton.
NRG cycles is gone, they couldn’t pay their bill on the rental property, they expanded into a big store and the return wasn’t as good as required. It was a bold move from their tiny shop in great ayton.
GLG cycles on Lanehouse Road is well gone.
wakemalcolm
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ratho
Bumped into Colin Armstrong at the bike café in Fryup a few years ago. He was in fine fettle still living his best life.
Punkawallah
Veteran
I have a soft spot for Ken’s ‘Tears for Souvenirs’, but I suppose I’m just a sentimental old sod.
fwgx
Guru
This seems like a sensible decision. Under no circumstances should shops open when people are most able to get to them.
Windle
Über Member
- Location
- Burnthouses
Not actually in Darlo, but I'm about ten miles west and used to live north of there years ago.
Windle
Über Member
- Location
- Burnthouses
I used to work with Roger, Paul's brother, many years ago ~ the last time I saw him he was working in the Great Ayton shop.
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
My LBS, Comptons in Catford, is still going. I think their main points are being a Brompton dealer and offering good workshop services. They're right next door to a big Halfords so competing on bread and butter BSOs must be hard.
I use them a lot for jobs that are too difficult/ fiddly / boring / important to do myself. Experience has also taught me is that not only do they do things quicker than me they actually do things right.
I use them a lot for jobs that are too difficult/ fiddly / boring / important to do myself. Experience has also taught me is that not only do they do things quicker than me they actually do things right.
Punkawallah
Veteran
II’ve probably passed by your place, then. My usual local haunt is out West, sort of Walworth/Piercebridge/Barton way.
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Which describes precisely why I use my LBS.
Windle
Über Member
- Location
- Burnthouses
If you've ridden through the sprawling metropolis of Burnthouses then you'll have ridden past my house, we've only got one street.
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
Thinking about it I think what a bricks and mortar shop really needs is service.
So that's sales service that is actually helpful to people in navigating the options. Not just pushing the most expensive but actually hand-holding through the decision making process and providing follow up service like 100 mile checkup which gives the opportunity to build loyalty.
The other thing it needs is relatively affluent clientele. Someone on a very tight budget may not see value in any of this. They'll go for something online that is within budget and other considerations will be secondary.
So that's sales service that is actually helpful to people in navigating the options. Not just pushing the most expensive but actually hand-holding through the decision making process and providing follow up service like 100 mile checkup which gives the opportunity to build loyalty.
The other thing it needs is relatively affluent clientele. Someone on a very tight budget may not see value in any of this. They'll go for something online that is within budget and other considerations will be secondary.
Punkawallah
Veteran
Only as far as West Auckland and Staindrop, but there’s still time :-)
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
10/10. You couldn't be more accurate with this summing up.
As I've said many times I've been with the same LBS for +/-25 years. I live equidistant between Merlin and my LBS. Any product I need will be cheaper at Merlin.
I don't do nuts, bolts and widgets. With a good explanation I can understand the pros and cons of most cycling related stuff. I can do no more than fix flats or fit a chain. In the past I have tried to learn and then taken the mess to the LBS to fix. Frankly I'm just not interested in spannering. When I need work doing if it's very minor the bike goes on the stand immediately, I get coffee, leave 20 minutes later, no charge. I bobbed in one day and mentioned I had entered the 312. "Have you got a moment?" said the owner. We went in the back, drank coffee and chatted training, nutrition, tactics for two hours.
If I'm buying a new bike I want, and need, support from an LBS that understands me, my cycling, my stage of life and future-proofing my bikes. I would challenge anyone to show where I can buy this level of service online. I never query price at my LBS. I probably pay top dollar for most things. I cannot though buy many, many hours of help and advice freely given whenever needed.
Anytime I'm purchasing a product or service I would struggle with be it to install a new fence and gate, lay flags or build a bike I'll always take the best value for money, never the cheapest
I'll support my LBS at every possible opportunity not least because I need them.
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