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#1
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thinking of opening a LBS
Hello - long time reader, seldom post
I'm wondering if it makes sense these days to attempt a LBS startup? On one hand, I can certainly see a niche in the commuting/practical uses market that is not currently being fulfilled in the city. On the other hand, *Mart bikes are so cheap (in more ways than one!) that I'm not certain if there is a customer base. I'd appreciate your comments. TIA, Brian |
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#2
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thinking of opening a LBS
Depends where you're at and what the competition is. Most commuters
round here are ilegals on xmart bikes. On Jun 1, 8:48*pm, Brian Kerr wrote: Hello - long time reader, seldom post I'm wondering if it makes sense these days to attempt a LBS startup? *On one hand, I can certainly see a niche in the commuting/practical uses market that is not currently being fulfilled in the city. *On the other hand, *Mart bikes are so cheap (in more ways than one!) that I'm not certain if there is a customer base. *I'd appreciate your comments. TIA, Brian |
#3
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thinking of opening a LBS
"Brian Kerr" wrote in message
news | Hello - long time reader, seldom post | | I'm wondering if it makes sense these days to attempt a LBS startup? On | one hand, I can certainly see a niche in the commuting/practical uses | market that is not currently being fulfilled in the city. On the other | hand, *Mart bikes are so cheap (in more ways than one!) that I'm not | certain if there is a customer base. I'd appreciate your comments. | | TIA, | Brian Demographics is everything. If you're in an urban area with high rents & other costs, you're not going to survive if you depend upon commuter bikes for your revenue. They can be a significant and featured part of your product line, but they're not going to pay their own way if you're competing for rent with all manner of other non-service industries that can afford to pay a whole lot more per square foot. But for generic info on the retail bicycle biz, check out the National Bicycle Dealer Association website at www.nbda.com. And then study the various other bike shops in your area, and figure out what each does well and not-so-well. And absolutely study the various shops that might have failed in your area over the past 5 or so years, and figure out why. And then figure out what it is that you can do better, and how you can expand the marketplace instead of cannibalizing what little business there is in the area, since the cannibalization thing cuts both ways, and the long-established shop has much deeper pockets and will probably still be there in the end. --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com |
#4
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thinking of opening a LBS
In my area, a mechanic from one of the bike shops picked out a
lower-economic section of town and started to specialize in lower priced bikes--even those tricycles that elderly people sometimes ride. He began making money by doing repairs of -mart bikes. Most of the bikes he fixed were those that had been put aside as soon as they broke. I really doubt that he does any business in $2,000 bikes, but he was going great guns with cheaper bmx bikes and odds and ends to trick those out. He started a lay-away section, too. What you said: demographics. The other bike shops were appealing to a whole different section of the bike riding public. Pat in TX |
#5
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thinking of opening a LBS
Step one is realizing you'll be barely getting by for the life of your
business. If yu want to open an LBS it has to be for the love of the sport, not the money. :-3) - - Compliments of: "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman" If you want to E-mail me use: ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net My website: http://geocities.com/czcorner |
#6
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thinking of opening a LBS
It's Chris wrote:
Step one is realizing you'll be barely getting by for the life of your business. If yu want to open an LBS it has to be for the love of the sport, not the money. :-3) - - Compliments of: "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman" If you want to E-mail me use: ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net My website: http://geocities.com/czcorner Yes Chris, I'm certainly realizing that. It was a strong suspicion from the start. Thanks all for your comments and especially to Mike - that link was excellent. Brian |
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