How can a bike shop compete with an online retailer

How can a bike shop compete with an online retailer?

The answer is already in your bike shop.

Given the different cost bases for an online bicycle retailer compared to a bricks and mortar retail bike shop makes it impossible to compete on price, so how do you compete?

The one thing an online bike retailer cannot do is provide bicycle repairs and servicing. As the online retailer does not a bricks and mortar workshop they cannot offer this service, this is your competitive advantage. A workshop connected to your bike shop gives you a massive advantage as any bike sold will require servicing or repairs at some stage even if it is brought online.

You might not be able to compete with the online retailer on price but you can bundle in some free servicing to win the sale. You also want to encourage your customer to purchase multiple servicing packages upfront to lock in a recurring income and visits back to your bike shop.

You now need to make managing the service and repairs booking process as efficient as possible to convert your customers in to repeat customers. Every time they come to your shop for a service or repair you have an opportunity to make another sale.

So you now need to get smart with managing your bicycle repair workshop to make it quick and easy for your customer to book in a service and purchase servicing packages.

To do this you need an online booking account that caters for purchasing servicing packages and making bookings.

Bookitlive provides bike shops online software that automates the package purchasing and servicing booking process. By providing fully integrated servicing package purchase and booking redemption process, customers are able to purchase and book online themselves without even calling you.