Cycle Factory Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 Not so sure what is "funny about it", if you have other facts to the contrary about retailing in the industry, it would be helpful for you to put them forth. I am just trying to give everyone the perspective of a LBS - I am not opposing anything CW is doing, I am simply putting forth the reality of what lief is like for the retailer.
AndreZA Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 All I can say it does not look like a easy business to be in. You either need huge financial backing to carry you in the "bad" times or have a very small margin so to have a huge turn around.
ewep Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 CFS CT, the funny wasn't actually aimed at you. Go read Icycling's posts and you'll see that ALL the LBS owners in SA (according to him) are threatend by CWC's direct importing. Now you come and give us a more realistic perspective, and he stays quite. Don't you find that funny as well?
Cycle Factory Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 Many apologies - I now get it. Must have been all those drinks at Christmas.......
quinton Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 If you think that every cyclist out there wants to pay the least for anything and will phone around, visit 100 bicycle stores and surf for hours to find the cheapest price. Would you want to be bicycle shop owner and do business with them???? I would NOT!!! How do know this???? I am a cyclist and do all of that too
Mudsimus Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 17 pages of bullsh*t. I also work in the cycling industry and I dont feel threatend by any online shop. Infact I deal with CWC on a regular basis, mainly because I get better service and prices from them than from some suppliers. If your customers shop online or anywere else for that matter you are doing something wrong.
ewep Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 Many apologies - I now get it. Must have been all those drinks at Christmas....... No problem!
lowracer Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 I think most distributors need to realize that they are now competing globally, and that back up support from them and their suppliers need to speed up or their customers (the cyclists and the LBS) will find another local or global supplier. In line with this, they need to relook at their margins, and renegotiate credit terms with their debtors. a 90 days lead time for payment is too much! they must speed up on the support. If you can get a new part from totalcycling in 10 days, why not a replacement part in 10 days? (no waiting for months, with no resolution. the LBS must not use the distributor as cheap financing. This might cause cashflow problems for some, in bringing the payment period down, but in order to stay competitive, they must lessen the credit load on the distributor, in order to negotiate bettter pricing, and to allow the distributor to do the same, and pass the savings down. the local cyclist ordering from overseas, pays up front (or via creditcard) Be willing to do the same to your LBS or local mail order supplier, and do not order stuff, and then not take it or pay for it. lastly, if you dont support your LBS, dont cry if you need an emergency fix, and they are not there to support you anymore. If the distributor does not make it, another will step up and fill his place. The same might not be true about your LBS. Get your bike serviced at the lbs, buy your tubes, blinkies, etc there. your new tubes with postage from the mail order co, will be more expensive that buying from the lbs. give them a chance to match prices. if you buy elsewhere, get them to install the new groupset for you. or they might not be there one day for you
quinton Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 For sure lowracer, I support any LBS that can give me a competitive price and more then willing to pay them for the labor to fit parts that I have purchased from someone else. I won't expect and LBS to work for free for me - Unless they want too
_BBi Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 I think Chris and Brandon should stop this spat publically and sort it out between them. Not sure if it is posible after all the allegations, but give it a go and forget the ego's. Like all things, the truth must be somewhere between the 2 extremes.
Man with no name Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 A debt collector walks into CWC..... no that's too corny
Super Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 To finish it all off...Brandon said his account i in arrears, the letter clearly states its not..... Explain that!
Mudsimus Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 To finish it all off... Brandon said his account i in arrears' date=' the letter clearly states its not..... Explain that![/quote'] Better call Mulder and Scully.
Pantani Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 This thread is crying out for an injection of fire, something that will keep this thread going for at least another 20 pages, a broad sweeping statement, thoughtless and unfounded, uttered in the heat of the moment... It is rumoured that CWC bring their cheap imports into the country in suit cases, bypassing customs and avoiding the heavy duties on imports, transferring the money they cheated SARS out of on to their customers as a saving. At our Christmas Day lunch I asked my uncle Trevor what his view was on this sort of 'smokkeling' and he assured me that such criminal activities are viewed in a very dim light. I was surprised that he referred to it as criminal activities but then again, Tax evasion is a criminal offence. But I quickly had to pretend that I didn't know anybody from CWC just in case I became implicated in abetting these nefarious crooks. All Trevor's words I promise...
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