Events

Grand Opening of the Specialized Stellenbosch Store

· By Press Office · 34 comments

On Wednesday the 2nd of March the Specialized Stellenbosch Store held a grand opening to officially introduce the local cycling community to this new store. There was an air of excitement on the evening as everyone waited to receive the official grand tour.

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The evening got underway much as any visit to the Specialized Stellenbosch store would – with a drink at the Caveman Café, in this case sumptuous local wine and craft beer rather than one of Conrad Stoltz’s famous coffees. The Caveman Café is designed as an integral part of the store. With its relaxed seating on the patio, overlooking the kiddies bike track (complete with a range of Specialized kids bikes and helmets) and long trellis table tucked into a corner undisturbed by foot traffic. It’s already proving popular as a destination on its own. Not only are moms and dads bringing their children down for a ride while they enjoy a coffee and homemade treats. But it’s become a popular spot to sit and catch up on e-mails for people passing through Stellenbosch on business.

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From the Caveman Café at the front of the store to the lounge area at the back, complete with a television playing the world’s best riding videos for now, but undoubtedly footage from the Absa Cape Epic come the 13th of March and the Tour de France from the 2nd of July, the store is an immersive experience. The modular display system allows for continual refreshing and the displays lure you into what Specialized dub “experiences”. There are road, mountain, ladies, kids and triathlon sections and within these sections they further break it down to rider style. You will find all the gear you need, head to toe, in 1 area.

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At 830 square meters the Stellenbosch store is one of the largest Specialized stores in the country, but it’s not just in showroom space that Specialized have invested. There are extensive changing rooms, complete with shower facilities for the riders who would like to use the store as the starting and finishing point of a ride. The access to the trails of Eden are a mere kilometre away and there is scenic road riding in the area too. The store has quickly become a popular destination for cyclists and their massive workshop is building a great reputation. Designed with 5 work stations, the workshop is a constant hub of activity and services all bike brands.

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The store also features a state of the art Body Geometry Fit and Physiotherapy studio from which fit expert and physiotherapist, Peet le Roux, will be practicing. The studio is separate from the store and has an unintimidating but medical air about it. It also features the Retul 3D Motion Capture system as well as a Retül Müve Dynamic Fit Bike – tools which makes dialling in your perfect bike fit so much easier.

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The Stellenbosch store is the first store globally to be owned by Specialized Bicycles, with the purpose of facilitating more than solely a retail store environment. Bobby Behan, Specialized Market Leader Africa, says that the new store is a training facility for all staff, and is a means for them to understand retail and therefore better support their retailer base and most importantly the end consumer and his / her needs. The driving rationale behind the store is one of providing what Behan terms a “test bed” for shop fitting, retail systems, product training, stock management and marketing. Retailers will also be able to send staff to the Stellenbosch store for on the job training under the experienced team at the store. Trevor Marshall and Maria Martinez manage the store and are backed by an incredible team with extensive knowledge and experience in the industry.

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With some of the best riders in the world already congregating in Stellenbosch for training, like superstar triathlete Javier Gómez, and other riders like Lisa Norden and Christoph Sauser, the eyes of the cycling world are already on Stellenbosch. With it’s growing international interest the store now provides the support and facilities for not only the local riders and visiting professionals but also leading the way for Stellenbosch in another sphere of cycling.

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Photos by Ewald Sadie | www.esphotography.co.za.

Specialized – Stellenbosch
Physical address: 33 Canterbury Lane
Paradyskloof, Stellenbosch, 7600
Telephone number: (021) 880 0799
Website: www.specialized-stellenbosch.com
Email: info.stellenbosch@specialized.com
Facebook: Specialized-Stellenbosch
Twitter: @SpecializedZA

Specialized Bicycles South Africa
Website: www.specialized.com/za
Facebook: Specialized Bicycles South Africa
Twitter: @SpecializedZA
Instagram: specializedza
YouTube: Specialized South Africa

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Comments

V12man

Mar 3, 2016, 3:45 PM

Is that a 3 group LM Linea I see?

CleatsnCleavage

Mar 3, 2016, 3:48 PM

Snore. So tired of every cycling store you go into only having Spaz. Life is about choice!!!

BrandonF_

Mar 3, 2016, 3:48 PM

yay,...????

 

Just find the way they've treated their(now The) faithful (i.e. Bridge Cycles, Cyclefunatic, BMT, but to name a few...) distributor's over the last few years, that set "them"($paz) up nice and comfortable,...to drop a load, and set up "this"(Me, Myself and, ME),...

 

Wish the consumer will open their eyes to this stuffed up, selfish, mislead conception of value...

 

...like these stalwarts, in "their success", were just another brick in the wall,..so will my "moan n bitch" by the followers of this marketing illusion be,.. but to find me riding a false interpretation of value and ethics,....no,.."Please pass START",...

 

????

Jaco-fiets

Mar 3, 2016, 4:29 PM

First off: if you want choice then don't shop at a concept store. Plain and simple. These shops are brand specific and cater for people who buys into the brand. You have a choice not to support

 

2nd: How is specialized a false interpretation of value? It is a good quality product. Their marketing is amazing driving home this perception with the customer as well.

It is debatable about shops that stocked this brand in the past and was allegedly just dropped when they decided to open their own store in the area. We don't have all the facts so I can't judge here

Godzilla

Mar 3, 2016, 5:27 PM

Snore. So tired of every cycling store you go into only having Spaz. Life is about choice!!!

What a truly bizarre thing to say. ''Every cycling store.....'

Wow. If life is about choice....then choose not to go into their store.

As your mom said to you all those years ago, ''if you have nothing nice to say....''

MEYER1

Mar 3, 2016, 5:32 PM

They going to kill the other spec around

Brickleberry

Mar 3, 2016, 5:34 PM

Unfortunately the more I look into this industry , the more the concept store makes sense. The distributors in this industry seem pretty useless in terms of bringing in stock , shops struggle to get stock and if they don't have huge capital, they miss out on stock, and then later in the year there is none left. Service in stores can vary hugely with private stores. With the concept idea , the whole importing, store feel, level of service and stock offering can be raised , and also profits can be better if done correctly , rather than a importer trying to rip a store off and then the store doing the same to the consumer. I'm sure more brands will go this way, and I for 1 am keen to see where it leads.

Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

Mar 3, 2016, 5:38 PM

Looks like a superb store. That workshop alone would have cost a small fortune to put together...

 

And that coffee machine... DROOL!!!

kosmonooit

Mar 3, 2016, 5:40 PM

Not a Spez fan, but that looks like a nicely designed and laid out shop.

 

But isn't it the same kinda corporate game as say Woolworths, image and perceived value has a lot to do with getting those customers to part with their cash?

Rick Sanchez

Mar 3, 2016, 5:45 PM

Is that Justin Bieber next to Sauser? :P

BrandonF_

Mar 3, 2016, 6:33 PM

First off: if you want choice then don't shop at a concept store. Plain and simple. These shops are brand specific and cater for people who buys into the brand. You have a choice not to support

 

2nd: How is specialized a false interpretation of value? It is a good quality product. Their marketing is amazing driving home this perception with the customer as well.

It is debatable about shops that stocked this brand in the past and was allegedly just dropped when they decided to open their own store in the area. We don't have all the facts so I can't judge here

http://www.bellscycling.co.za/product/2016-stumpjumper-comp-carbon-29-world-cup/

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/168607-2016-silverback-storm1-1st-in-sa/

 

Part for Part, No comparison in value for money,...Marketing is all about glitter, words and flashing lights,...Value, however, is what you put on the table.

Johny Bravo

Mar 3, 2016, 6:50 PM

Spez fan or not, been to this shop 3 times now. They have absolutely every product in the Spez catologue in stock, all sizes and colours.  I love the fact I can view every model bike in the range in the flesh and test ride them before making a decission. Love this shop.

Brickleberry

Mar 3, 2016, 6:54 PM

Spez fan or not, been to this shop 3 times now. They have absolutely every product in the Spez catologue in stock, all sizes and colours. I love the fact I can view every model bike in the range in the flesh and test ride them before making a decission. Love this shop.

This????????, exactly right . Stock avaliable always, and a customer experience. Even the "mega stores" these days have a terrible stock holding and almost no range

EmptyB

Mar 3, 2016, 7:09 PM

Love them or hate them...I think its great.

 

Forces the competition to up their game too

Jocklaw

Mar 3, 2016, 7:12 PM

Spez fan or not, been to this shop 3 times now. They have absolutely every product in the Spez catologue in stock, all sizes and colours.  I love the fact I can view every model bike in the range in the flesh and test ride them before making a decission. Love this shop.

will have to check it out next week when I' m down! Sounds good!
Patensie

Mar 3, 2016, 7:28 PM

Took my wife and children to the caveman cafe a couple of weeks ago. Kids played lekker, wife liked the coffee and I had a look at the shop. Alu enduro with gx and pike caught my eye as fair value for money. Told one of the guys in the shop i might just ride a spaz one day...

 

The wife really enjoyed the women's range, esp a 6fatty women's camber and the helmet hannah barnes has.

 

And they spend money on trails in Jonkershoek.

Fisan

Mar 3, 2016, 7:36 PM

Not a Spez fan, but that looks like a nicely designed and laid out shop.

 

But isn't it the same kinda corporate game as say Woolworths Apple, image and perceived value has a lot to do with getting those customers to part with their cash? 

 

Fixed it for ya.

 

I'm no Spez fanboy. I like to associate myself with the brand and people of the other S brand. I don't own a single piece of Specialized equipment....BUT they really do impress me. Their marketing is by far the best in SA (for a cycling brand). I've never really heard of anyone complaining of choosing Spez. This shop just looks effin' awesome. And then there's the SONGO programme.

lerouc

Mar 4, 2016, 5:08 AM

Helderberg cycle world is going to take a knock, if i will ever ride a spez i will rather go buy it in this shop!

'Dale

Mar 4, 2016, 5:10 AM

Looks cool hey

Awesome Caveman space too

Will pop in for some caffeine doping

Shebeen

Mar 4, 2016, 7:58 AM

Been a huge Conrad Stoltz fan, since like forever....while i don't really identify with the bells and whistles spit and hype marketing the big S splashes out, I trust the Caveman will make sure they keep their feet on the ground.

 

would be interested to see what the kiddies play track looks like

rock

Mar 4, 2016, 8:07 AM

their shops looks good, must admit it.

 

some general stores need to play catch up as to design and layout.

Monark

Mar 4, 2016, 8:09 AM

In a depressed economy like the one we are enduring at the moment, rather than being negative and speaking disparagingly about a new venture, why not go and buy a small item there (a muffin/coffee/chocolate) and help it find its feet. The only way we are going to get our economy back to its feet is if we all try and help out.

 

I am not a Specialised "fan boy" and I don't ride one of their bikes. But when I see this much effort go into something I appreciate it. Especially with all the economic doom and gloom out there, things like this are a little bit of sunshine in all the rain.

 

Good luck to the proprietors.

CharlesZ

Mar 4, 2016, 8:14 AM

Spez fan or not, been to this shop 3 times now. They have absolutely every product in the Spez catologue in stock, all sizes and colours.  I love the fact I can view every model bike in the range in the flesh and test ride them before making a decission. Love this shop.

That's the truth!!!! You are almost certain to always get what you looking for from the products they stock. That's why the Spez brand is so successful in SA. The suppliers and the likes of Kevin Bekenstein is always involved in the stores. I do travel a lot and found Kevin busy in the stores ( concept stores, Tailwind in Klerksdorp, Bloem store in Noordstad, etc) that stocks Spez products and even helping clients and making sure that the different stores that stocks their brand is up to their standards.

 

By the professional service by all parties involved they almost convinced me to move over from a Cervelo to a Spez but then I got on my Cervelo and the Spez idea vanished. But do have a Spez Epic that's awesome.

Jaco-fiets

Mar 4, 2016, 7:57 PM

In my opinion the future of trading bicycles will either be through a concept store or what canyon is doing which is selling directly to public online. I heard Trek is going the same route in US this year

 

With the current recommended retail on bikes this is the only way the manufacturer can make a decent cut while still pushing out volume

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