Shebeen Posted June 27, 2016 Posted June 27, 2016 I think a few years ago quite a few LBS dabbled with an online 'component'. Not many do now, so there's your answer - it just doesn't complement the business unless it's done to scale.
Eon du Plessis Posted June 27, 2016 Posted June 27, 2016 I think a few years ago quite a few LBS dabbled with an online 'component'. Not many do now, so there's your answer - it just doesn't complement the business unless it's done to scale.As a technology professional, the websites for shops are typically dreadful. Even CWC, with all the money they threw at that portal, can be a pain to navigate at times. And then local online stores are pricey. I can ship something from chain reaction and receive it in 3 days. Local online shops might come in a day earlier. Sure you have a local warranty, but how often do you need that anyway?
MarioH Posted June 29, 2016 Posted June 29, 2016 Selling online is about making money, you dont know the customer, you dont care whether they are buying the correct item and whether they will benefit from the item. Bike shop owners are mostly in it for the love of cycling, when you sell online it is a cold straight forward transaction where someone is purely shopping based on price, In a bike shop that is not what we do, WE LIKE PEOPLE, WE LIKE DEALING WITH PEOPLE, WE LOVE CYCLING, WE LIKE TO TALK CYCLING and we like giving people good honest and correct advice, and then we sell the the correct parts, as the stuff they bought online was wrong, so if you are just bargain hunting then shop online, you will however find that very often the same item might actually be cheaper at your LBS, and the they will most likely also fit the part or component free of chargeI agree Cycle4Life, maybe Christiaan from BuyCycle should tell us how long he's been involved in the actual cycling industry & if he's ever run or owned a "brick & mortar" (LBS) store ? I find it laughable that he's here giving all this "advice", when there's NO cyclists (people with previous LBS experience) working at BuyCycle at the moment......or correct me if I'm wrong, Christiaan.
Malpiet Posted June 29, 2016 Posted June 29, 2016 I only order online if my LBS cannot get it.AX-lightnessArundelMCFKKingTuneetc.expensive taste hey
BigDL Posted June 29, 2016 Posted June 29, 2016 I agree Cycle4Life, maybe Christiaan from BuyCycle should tell us how long he's been involved in the actual cycling industry & if he's ever run or owned a "brick & mortar" (LBS) store ? I find it laughable that he's here giving all this "advice", when there's NO cyclists (people with previous LBS experience) working at BuyCycle at the moment......or correct me if I'm wrong, Christiaan.Interesting point that. Funny, Jeff Bezos had no experience of running a shop before he started Amazon. Richard Branson had no experience of retail before he started his mail order record business. Not sure why he needs to have worked in a lbs Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sharkie 2 Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 I only order online if my LBS cannot get it.AX-lightnessArundelMCFKKingTuneetc.No no, you are a whole next level....the bike shop has not even seen nor heard of the new version or model and you want it....
Sharkie 2 Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 Maybe some shops just decide you can't be good at everything and focus what they are good at. If you only sell what you have in stock and list that on the site there can't be any issues. The trouble starts that some shops online do not want to carry stock and use the supplier to carry the stock for them....clever....RIIGGHHT. Then a customer places an order because it is shown on site as available and then the importer is out, or you place the order with the supplier and obviously a paying shop with larger orders go out first and then your parcel. It is a simple process....sell what you have in stock and you will not have any issues...an online shop would be clever way to help the LBS cover some of its costs...heck you pay for the rent of the shop for 24 hours of the day 7 days a week. Also the approach through online should be to push volumes and not margins
leeubok Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 Not everyone live in big cities with 10 LBS's around the corner. My closest proper LBS is 4-5 hours away. So for me it is so convenient to order online and have my package delivered at my doorstep a few days later.
MarioH Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 Interesting point that. Funny, Jeff Bezos had no experience of running a shop before he started Amazon. Richard Branson had no experience of retail before he started his mail order record business. Not sure why he needs to have worked in a lbs Sent from my iPad using TapatalkNoted........and how many "experienced" people are employed by Bezos & Branson's companies ?
BigDL Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 Noted........and how many "experienced" people are employed by Bezos & Branson's companies ? Great point. However, when they began.... My point is not that you don't need experience to grow a business. Generally you do. However, the fact that they currently may not employ people with lbs experience is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps having a great web developer and a systems person would be more useful to their business model. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Pure Savage Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 Well misconceptions about online abound. Bike shop owners not in it for the money, that's a first, poor suckers don't realise they are running charities. Every shop open for business is out to make money and maximise profits, that is business basics. Lbs being cheaper than online and fitting the part for free hahahaha, what a load of schit, I'm assuming that shop offers free wash n lube everyday for anyone? To be fair, my bike gets free washes and fitment of parts every now and then. They even swap out my cranks for me once in a while, I have never had an online store do that for me
lerouc Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 To be fair, my bike gets free washes and fitment of parts every now and then. They even swap out my cranks for me once in a while, I have never had an online store do that for me I am also not lazy and can swap out my own cranks. AND btw not to burst your bubble, with some LBS markups they are not doing it for "free".
Pure Savage Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 I am also not lazy and can swap out my own cranks. AND btw not to burst your bubble, with some LBS markups they are not doing it for "free". My time is worth more than it costs to pay for a service or drop it off. So its cheaper them doing it. I have never paid more for any item at my LBS than online, sometimes its cheaper. Sounds like you need to find a proper LBS
BDF Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 Selling online is about making money, you dont know the customer, you dont care whether they are buying the correct item and whether they will benefit from the item. Bike shop owners are mostly in it for the love of cycling, when you sell online it is a cold straight forward transaction where someone is purely shopping based on price, In a bike shop that is not what we do, WE LIKE PEOPLE, WE LIKE DEALING WITH PEOPLE, WE LOVE CYCLING, WE LIKE TO TALK CYCLING and we like giving people good honest and correct advice, and then we sell the the correct parts, as the stuff they bought online was wrong, so if you are just bargain hunting then shop online, you will however find that very often the same item might actually be cheaper at your LBS, and the they will most likely also fit the part or component free of chargeDon't want to hijack the thread but I'm not sure I can agree entirely with this. Just take a look at the recent Competition Commission saga on cycling and look at the long list of shops that were found/admitted to collusion. Surely that does not display corroboration with your statement? Agree, some were bullied into submission. Fact is, without a profit motive as well a shop will go out of business (as many unfortunately have)
BDF Posted June 30, 2016 Posted June 30, 2016 I agree Cycle4Life, maybe Christiaan from BuyCycle should tell us how long he's been involved in the actual cycling industry & if he's ever run or owned a "brick & mortar" (LBS) store ? I find it laughable that he's here giving all this "advice", when there's NO cyclists (people with previous LBS experience) working at BuyCycle at the moment......or correct me if I'm wrong, Christiaan.Dude, do you hunt down BuyCycle's name on the BikeHub to attack them or something? Seems you have unresolved issues or something!
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