YUMEYA Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 The industry is changing. Whether we like it or not. Who still mourns the death of the corner grocer? Now we have 24-7 convenience stores and large grocery stores that is open from 9 to 9. What about the butcher? Woollies and Spar now sells meat. The moms and pops bike shop will die a slow death. While it is sad on some levels it is even more concerning that these shops are not re inventing themselves to adapt with the times. Remember when car dealers bought a variety of brands and stocked their show room floors? No? Its because that model changed after WW2 to what we now see as the equivalent of Concept Stores in Cycling. Some motor cycle dealerships still use the antiquated model of stocking a variety of brands on their floors purely because volume of motor bike sales means that exclusively in this regard is not sustainable. What about department stores? Remember when Stuttafords in Adderley Street was a big deal?The way we are buying bikes is changing. The market is outgrowing the current model and exclusivity is becoming not only viable, but essential as well. Hopefully the agency model will be ditched by more of the mainstream cycling brands to make way for direct representation. The alternative will be online channels. Savvy retailers will look at a way to move with the times or move on. We will probably tell our grandchildren about the good old days when we popped in at the LBS. We can chose to be nostalgic about it or we can recognize that the world is changing. You are correct. Our gripe is not with the direction the market is heading. Our problem is with spez and how they have dealt bridge a low blow. And if specializes reason is the one mentioned earlier by one of the hubbers then spezies ethics are questionable. The criteria for getting one of these stores were questionable. Why is a store that has been building up the brand all the years being snubbed? Bridge got a pat on the back and a FU very much. Who gets preference??
urbanroyal Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 I don't know...I've started my own business in 1999... I have managed to hold on to the same clients for the last 14 years....why..'cos they can pick up the phone and call me ..the owner...if they any issues. ...it's about the relationship. ...does not mean that I advertise my business as I did 15 years ago....that time one of the ways was Yellow Pages...????....then I set my website. ..online marketing....nowadays...it's all social media ...apps. ..etc...but o'l fashioned word of mouth and that personal touch goes a long way.....I don't the name of my local woolies manager...but the corner store..well me and Mrs Manager have a thing going on......????????????????????
Johny Bravo Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Satisfy my curiosity, what is a Whiskey friend? Try to lift the level of your debate, please. Personal insults and accusations of intoxication are a little infantile.Okay, you stated, that South Africa sells more bicycles than cars. South Africa sells about 750 000 new vehicles a year. That is excluding used. If you think we sell that amount of biycles a year, then there really is no point discussing this further.
GoLefty!! Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 the store who bends to the will of the brand gets preference. What grates is that Bridge were bending by pouring their own money (not the banks) into the new store and building it for the requirements spec put in place. It just appears they never intended to stay with Bridge. I get the bit about the franchise, but these are not franchises for sale. Spec is not putting its own money in as far as I know. It was all the retailers
Johny Bravo Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Can we pause this thread till Friday. Really kicking off now.
RallyRob Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 I see the topic has moved week away from the original but thought it worth sharing a recent experience. Firstly I am not a Specialized fantastic and dorm even own a Specialized preferring instead my Samta Cruz Tallboy. I do however enjoy Specialized clothing and many of the well thought our accessories, for although expensive the stuff typically works and does the job for which its intended. Recently bought myself an S-Works Prevail helmet and after just two months of use I effectively destroyed the helmet after a major crash this last weekend. Firstly I am very grateful to the helmet for doing its intended job perfectly, as I wss able to walk away from the crash with only scrapes and bruises after hitting my head REALLY hard....it's a pretty hard knock when you helmet cracks in 4 places to dissipate the force. Obviously needed a new helmet and thought I would take my old helmet with to show the guys at the concept store what a fantastic job the product had done. Imagine my surprise when I was informed that Specialized offer a "crash rebate" on its helmets and I was able to but my new helmet for just 50% of the replacement cost. Now that's not only a fantastic product but also some awesome product support.....not sure how many other brands would offer the same kind of deal on a product which was effectively destroyed by the customer.
YUMEYA Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Well, I guess all we can do is wish Bridge all the success with or without spez. May he complete his new store and kick ass.
Iceman. Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Every brand has the right to choose how they want to sell their products - who, where and how. What Specialized are doing is franchising their stores in exactly the same way the motor industry does or KFC does. The brand has the right to insist on their retailers/franchisees doing things the way they want them done. What the retailers have been slow in learning, and the examples of Bridge above reflect this, is that the brands are getting serious about how their products are represented to the customer and will not accept a multi franchise store. Bridge could have built a store but chose to delay and delay for 3 years. Olympic weighed up their options and pulled the plug, said no thank you. I really don't think Specialized SA are any different to, say, Mercedes Benz SA or Volkswagen SA or Steers who all went through similar processes years ago to strengthen their brand and give the customer a more consistent offering, no matter what store they were dealing with. Every Steers has the same look and feel, every Ford dealership looks like a Ford dealership. Bike shops are all over the place. The retailer can be the strongest or weakest link in a successful brand. Analyses of franchise businesses show that all brands are more successful where there is uniform delivery of customer experience. That's how a franchise system works.I think you missing the point. In short, a family run bike shop decides to sell Spez products many years ago and supports Spez since then. In fact they sell a lot of their products including top end bikes. The shop decides to incur renovations to accommodate Spez, who supports the renovations and who doesn't have to pay for it. Then one day and all of a sudden Spez suddenly ends the relationship and while the renovations project is ongoing. That's not right whichever way you want to justify it in your head. It has nothing to do with all that crap you said above. The bike shop represented their products very well and sold a hell of a lot of them and gave Spez a great base in CT. Having a fancy shop doesn't strengthen the brand. It's the products, warranties and after sales service. The main point that you've forgotten is that the bike shop owner is the owner and not a franchise owner. It might be called a Spez store, but the owner personally as a sole proprietor owns everything and takes on all the risk unlike the car dealerships. As an example those cars are given to the dealerships on a consignment basis. They don't own them or incur huge debt to have them on display on their floors. The point is this: there was a mutual understanding and arrangement btw the loyal and long supporting shop and Spez, which Spez reneged on. That's the point!
Mr X Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Hahah the Spez police has arrived, deleting factual posts that they do not want to make known within seconds RIP Burry.
Showtime Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Hahah the Spez police has arrived, deleting factual posts that they do not want to make known within seconds RIP Burry.I will be very surprised if I'm the only one who reported your post but I sure am one and it had nothing to do with any brand.
nathrix Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 I love this thread, every day feels like a Friday (:
Zatopek Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 The industry is changing. Whether we like it or not. Who still mourns the death of the corner grocer? Now we have 24-7 convenience stores and large grocery stores that is open from 9 to 9. What about the butcher? Woollies and Spar now sells meat. The moms and pops bike shop will die a slow death. While it is sad on some levels it is even more concerning that these shops are not re inventing themselves to adapt with the times. Remember when car dealers bought a variety of brands and stocked their show room floors? No? Its because that model changed after WW2 to what we now see as the equivalent of Concept Stores in Cycling. Some motor cycle dealerships still use the antiquated model of stocking a variety of brands on their floors purely because volume of motor bike sales means that exclusively in this regard is not sustainable. What about department stores? Remember when Stuttafords in Adderley Street was a big deal?The way we are buying bikes is changing. The market is outgrowing the current model and exclusivity is becoming not only viable, but essential as well. Hopefully the agency model will be ditched by more of the mainstream cycling brands to make way for direct representation. The alternative will be online channels. Savvy retailers will look at a way to move with the times or move on. We will probably tell our grandchildren about the good old days when we popped in at the LBS. We can chose to be nostalgic about it or we can recognize that the world is changing. Probably for some people, but not just to concept stores. I would probably not use the concept stores. (Other people have the right to be wrong though ) I don't tweak/customize/abuse my cars. Once a year, standard service @ the dealer 'concept store' and that's that. No extra visits to look @ new models on floor etc. My bikes on the other hand, which are different brands (GT, Spez, Giant, Scott, Orbea, Focus, Trek, Silverback, Fuel), need parts/service/changes/upgrades almost monthly. I also like to walk around in the bike shop and touch. But... I'm not going to drive all over town from concept to concept and collect bits and bots. (I would have to change all my bikes to the same brand to make it possible) The Giant is the latest addition to replace the Spez - after I first walked in & out a Spez shop... bye bye Spez. It was good but over now - and thats alright..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTLbR80pIqY The Canyon bikes are very pretty
Wyatt Earp Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 I see the topic has moved week away from the original but thought it worth sharing a recent experience. Firstly I am not a Specialized fantastic and dorm even own a Specialized preferring instead my Samta Cruz Tallboy. I do however enjoy Specialized clothing and many of the well thought our accessories, for although expensive the stuff typically works and does the job for which its intended. Recently bought myself an S-Works Prevail helmet and after just two months of use I effectively destroyed the helmet after a major crash this last weekend. Firstly I am very grateful to the helmet for doing its intended job perfectly, as I wss able to walk away from the crash with only scrapes and bruises after hitting my head REALLY hard....it's a pretty hard knock when you helmet cracks in 4 places to dissipate the force. Obviously needed a new helmet and thought I would take my old helmet with to show the guys at the concept store what a fantastic job the product had done. Imagine my surprise when I was informed that Specialized offer a "crash rebate" on its helmets and I was able to but my new helmet for just 50% of the replacement cost. Now that's not only a fantastic product but also some awesome product support.....not sure how many other brands would offer the same kind of deal on a product which was effectively destroyed by the customer.All very standard fare for Bell and Giro as well .
Guest notmyname Posted March 25, 2015 Posted March 25, 2015 All very standard fare for Bell and Giro as well .I think for most brands making lids.
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