Is Specialized going to go "on-line" only in the near future

[Stockman]

Interesting! Locally (Port Elizabeth) the local S outlet has recently spent some significant money with help from S to pretty much create a Concept Store. Similar to what Giant have done in some areas. George Western Cape and Shelley Beach South Coast KZN spring to mind.

[Andrew Steer]

All I know is the bike industry is rapidly pricing itself out of my reach. 

Yeah, I'm sitting with a lekker Mtb, I would struggle to sell for R12k, and that to replace new would hit me over R35k... she'll be doing the job for a good few more years it seems. 

[Duane_Bosch]

All I know is the bike industry is rapidly pricing itself out of my reach. 

Same. I'm looking at taking up a cheaper sport. Like funding my own WSBK team.

[DieselnDust]

Karting might be cheaper

[Prince Albert Cycles]

I have never really looked if there is a saving for the consumer on direct sales eg Canyon if comparing apples with apples, or is the the manufacturer just taking bigger margins?

Just read on Bikerumor that Lauf is now selling their bikes directly to customers at substantially lower prices.

[ChrisF]

Interesting! Locally (Port Elizabeth) the local S outlet has recently spent some significant money with help from S to pretty much create a Concept Store. Similar to what Giant have done in some areas. George Western Cape and Shelley Beach South Coast KZN spring to mind.

Giant Durbanville is certainly part of the new look Giant shops.

 

Brand specific

 

FULL range of bikes for every type of user.

 

EXCELLENT service.

 

 

Called in to check availability, cycled there, had a coffee next door while the bike was serviced.

 

 

Let's see how this Spez thing plays out ... a couple of other brands are ready to step up ....

Edited July 9, 2020 by ChrisF

[Robbie Stewart]

Cycles Direct in Sunningdale moved up the road just prior to lockdown and changed the shop to more of a boutique feel. I am not sure if they stock any Giants anymore, but they only displayed Specialized when I was there on the day before lockdown started. It is a lekker shop now, with good service and friendly people. I still go to them as my go-to LBS.

I am not too fussed by the move to selling online. There is a global move towards online selling and it is not limited to bicycle sales only.

 

Lets just be honest about this for a moment. If you want a new TV, do you go to Hifi Corp or Takealot? Deon Wired closed down for this precise reason. Many people now buy from Superbalist.com, and Edgars is on the way out, with more to follow. Want some takeaways? Mr D Food, Uber Eats...

 

See my point?Just because a manufacturer has seen the trend world-wide and is taking action to evolve their business plan along with it does not seem wrong to me. It makes business sense. Anyone who does not, or is unable to, follow this new emerging market is doomed to fail.

Edited July 10, 2020 by Robbie Stewart

[stefmeister]

Karting might be cheaper

 

I'm actually considering doing that rather.

[bullet77]

I'm actually considering doing that rather.

I raced 125cc Max karts for a few years. If you want to race and compete you'll need a new set of tyres for every second race meeting at R1800 per set back then in about 2008, if you don't it's very difficult to keep up to karts with new rubber. That's besides entry fees and any other spares needed.

Cycling is expensive but you can cycle for free, you can't kart for free.

Sorry, totally off topic.

[Wayne pudding Mol]

I have never really looked if there is a saving for the consumer on direct sales eg Canyon if comparing apples with apples, or is the the manufacturer just taking bigger margins?

Just read on Bikerumor that Lauf is now selling their bikes directly to customers at substantially lower prices.

Lauf and many smaller niche brands like Trickstuff, Schmolke always been available direct to customer and for the smaller brands I understand it - how do they get distribution as the independent bike shops battle to stay alive? It's a vicious circle but the reality is that online will grow and independent retailers will shrink no matter what the product.

 

Idiots like me need an LBS and I think they will become smaller service centres ultimately.  Something like what Louis at Knipe racing does in Durbanville and I'm sure there are others

 

It must be tough for a bike shop owner - the array of parts you need to hold just to sell a brake pad for example.

[Emazing]

After you riding a Sworks for a week from a bud I can say in my option there is nothing like this bike so what ever they cooking up the bike is magic !

[Hairy]

After you riding a Sworks for a week from a bud I can say in my option there is nothing like this bike so what ever they cooking up the bike is magic !

what is your regular ride, and what are the components/spec like compared to that found on the S-Werxs?

[LazyTrailRider]

After you riding a Sworks for a week from a bud I can say in my option there is nothing like this bike so what ever they cooking up the bike is magic !

 

Oh, there are quite a few things like this bike. Have you ever taken a week's spin on:

1. Another brand's top-end model?
2. An Expert level (or equivalent) bike?

[WrightJnr]

I raced 125cc Max karts for a few years. If you want to race and compete you'll need a new set of tyres for every second race meeting at R1800 per set back then in about 2008, if you don't it's very difficult to keep up to karts with new rubber. That's besides entry fees and any other spares needed.

Cycling is expensive but you can cycle for free, you can't kart for free.

Sorry, totally off topic.

I raced karts and then enduro for about 15 years. Can you I,shine how many S-Works everything I could have bought with that money!!

[CAAD4]

Cycles Direct in Sunningdale moved up the road just prior to lockdown and changed the shop to more of a boutique feel. I am not sure if they stock any Giants anymore, but they only displayed Specialized when I was there on the day before lockdown started. It is a lekker shop now, with good service and friendly people. I still go to them as my go-to LBS.

 

I am not too fussed by the move to selling online. There is a global move towards online selling and it is not limited to bicycle sales only.

 

Lets just be honest about this for a moment. If you want a new TV, do you go to Hifi Corp or Takealot? Deon Wired closed down for this precise reason. Many people now buy from Superbalist.com, and Edgars is on the way out, with more to follow. Want some takeaways? Mr D Food, Uber Eats...

 

See my point?Just because a manufacturer has seen the trend world-wide and is taking action to evolve their business plan along with it does not seem wrong to me. It makes business sense. Anyone who does not, or is unable to, follow this new emerging market is doomed to fail.

Brick and mortar is still the vast majority of many categories in this country. Online sales, before Covid were around 2%-3% of overall retail in SA. You will be surprised how many massive TV's still walk out of Makro each weekend. Online never killed Dion Wired. Grocery vendors have seen massive growth in SA since Covid, but logistics have been a disaster. We tried Checkers 60 minute, 1km away from us. 3 hours later still nothing. Woolies click and collect, happy to give you a slot to park and collect (?) in 3 days time? Online is growing rapidly for sure, but Covid has just helped accelerate the demise of inefficient, overstaffed, stuck in the 90's retailers with entitled people milling around their aisles, when you can find them. It's easy for a massive company to list thousands of products as "online exclusives" but the consumer who buys, then expects quick delivery (instant gratification), which they are currently unable to do, resulting in Karen going online, creating reputational damage of note. Meanwhile in 'Murica an Amazon driver quit and abandoned his full truck at a petrol station (I still call it that and I still say Math(s)), as he was not happy with the 200-300 deliveries a day... Amidst unemployment figures of....

 

We are stuck in between the two.

 

Hell I went to stroke and hold the titanium frame locally, before I made a decision. I wanted to feel the fit, hear the sound and test the noise reduction properties of the QC 35's before opening my wallet, now the Bose stores across America are closed. No way I would (currently) open my wallet on these high ticket items by seeing them on a screen only. Replacement pads for my Tech X2's I don't need to see. But I still really enjoy shooting the breeze with the guys and looking though the shelves of an Lbs.

 

It's going to take some brave individuals with deep pockets to get the retail recipe right in the future.

 

Snowflakes want experiential destinations, Boomers want physical, Millennials want everything, cheap and instantly. And now we have a virus...

[ChrisF]

Brick and mortar is still the vast majority of many categories in this country. Online sales, before Covid were around 2%-3% of overall retail in SA. You will be surprised how many massive TV's still walk out of Makro each weekend. Online never killed Dion Wired. Grocery vendors have seen massive growth in SA since Covid, but logistics have been a disaster. We tried Checkers 60 minute, 1km away from us. 3 hours later still nothing. Woolies click and collect, happy to give you a slot to park and collect (?) in 3 days time? Online is growing rapidly for sure, but Covid has just helped accelerate the demise of inefficient, overstaffed, stuck in the 90's retailers with entitled people milling around their aisles, when you can find them. It's easy for a massive company to list thousands of products as "online exclusives" but the consumer who buys, then expects quick delivery (instant gratification), which they are currently unable to do, resulting in Karen going online, creating reputational damage of note. Meanwhile in 'Murica an Amazon driver quit and abandoned his full truck at a petrol station (I still call it that and I still say Math(s)), as he was not happy with the 200-300 deliveries a day... Amidst unemployment figures of....

 

We are stuck in between the two.

 

Hell I went to stroke and hold the titanium frame locally, before I made a decision. I wanted to feel the fit, hear the sound and test the noise reduction properties of the QC 35's before opening my wallet, now the Bose stores across America are closed. No way I would (currently) open my wallet on these high ticket items by seeing them on a screen only. Replacement pads for my Tech X2's I don't need to see. But I still really enjoy shooting the breeze with the guys and looking though the shelves of an Lbs.

 

It's going to take some brave individuals with deep pockets to get the retail recipe right in the future.

 

Snowflakes want experiential destinations, Boomers want physical, Millennials want everything, cheap and instantly. And now we have a virus...

 

Agreed ... we are some way away from the percentages of online sales that some other countries have reached.  Covid may well assist in a mindshift for many, now for the logistics to catch up.

 

 

Then again, many items you need that bit of human interaction to figure out exactly what you need.  I needed some computer items to wrap up a proper home office .. did a lot of web searching, of the typical online suppliers .... ended up going into two stores, one was sold out so that was a quick in and out.  The other has a national footprint, their shop in Century City is "manned" by a lot of school kids more interested in talking about online games than helping customers .... Their shop in Tygervalley actually has proper salesmen on duty, left the shop with a trolley full of stuff - most of which I could not find on their online shop .....

 

 

So finding proper service is the ongoing challange in SA ...

 

Finding up to date online websites is a challenge in itself, even worse when you are not sure of what you need.

 

 

Clearly buying your food (and other known items) online should be easy ... once the logistics catch up.

 

 

 

as for buying a "bike" online ... no thanks !  I want to see it, I want to sit in the saddle, I want to know what I am getting ..... then again, a family member works at a leading sports shop, they have streams of people doing their physical inspections, to stand in the shop and check online alternatives, some are flippant enough to ask the sales staff which model online is the better and to help then wrap up their online purchase .....  So the need for real information vs the need for discounted prices are leading to interesting buyer behaviour .... 

 

 

as for buying standard replacement part for our bikes ... easy enough online, but as long as the price difference is acceptable, then I rather support my LBS ....