Alarming trend for bike shops? Or great?

dbmtb

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I'm seeing an increasing number of bike shops opening in Denmark that seem to be trying to emulate the Rapha thing.....

Had an interior designer in, tidy-olde-worlde, "heritage", sofas and espresso etc etc etc..... and only very limited stock actually on display and the token resto hanging in a corner.

But is it just me - or is it only when a bike shop is GENUINELY old with stuff all over the place that never got sold and has GENUINE heritage is the heritage card worth playing?

Is there a future for these outfits and have I missed the point? Or are these types of shop a here-today gone-tomorrow trend? Don't get me wrong - I give my customers great coffee and there will be a sofa when there is room for one.... but surely carrying stock that people actually want to buy rather than just look at is the whole point?
 
sounds like the shops I saw in Palma too. Think they stayed open by selling clothing rather than the bikes
 
yeah i've seen this aswel.

i think it can work but for how long? in design they seem like they are not aiming themselves at 'normal' cyclists but at the more wealthy expresso coffee drinking fashion riders, if on the other hand the shop is designed well but they have saleable stock out back available then they could do ok.

personally if i had the money to start a shop (alot of money) i'd have a large shop with appropriate style of bikes for the area/riders near by (city=commuter bikes etc, countryside=more mtb etc etc) but i'd have a cafe set up with it the idea being that people stay in the shop longer, if they're not buying bikes/bits they'll be buying a cup of tea etc, a place to start rides from/meet up for rides etc, to chill and watch a vid on a large screen or the Tour etc

i think 'look mum no hands' in london have quite a good set up (all be it small) but it's seen as cool so it brings in people

i think the key these days is to be a lifestyle brand
 
if I could I would do coffee etal, though I'd have to employ someone else as leaving grease on the cups maybe an issue.
 
Ace idea, provided it doesn't mean precious space is taken up that could be used to actually sell & fix stuff.

My lbs have enough trouble trying to get me out of there as it is without coffee & a slab of walnut cake being on offer too..
 
saulus":3v4m2n8r said:
Ace idea, provided it doesn't mean precious space is taken up that could be used to actually sell & fix stuff.

My lbs have enough trouble trying to get me out of there as it is without coffee & a slab of walnut cake being on offer too..

Coffee and cake :cool: , i consider myself spoilt if i get eye contact from mine :x
 
widowmaker":1gqbmzyn said:
saulus":1gqbmzyn said:
Ace idea, provided it doesn't mean precious space is taken up that could be used to actually sell & fix stuff.

My lbs have enough trouble trying to get me out of there as it is without coffee & a slab of walnut cake being on offer too..

Coffee and cake :cool: , i consider myself spoilt if i get eye contact from mine :x


this is my point, if you like the shop anyway and their service is good and you get a coffee/tea/cake you'll spend more time there.
 
My LBS (Roy Pink) has had an old sofa, coffee table, free coffee machine as free biscuits and pile of old mags for as long as I can remember. Occasionally I pop in for a chat and sneak a free brew but often I chill after feeling faint from spending lots of money. As well as busy shop i think they appreciate theyre a focal point for the local cycling community as well. Hi to Roy and Alex if you're reading - plain chocolate digestives next time please ;)
 
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