Aug 3, 2015by Mike Kazimer
Online shopping for bike parts and accessories has become commonplace, but despite the fact that you can buy everything from cable ends to suspension forks without leaving your couch, the options for purchasing a complete bike are still fairly limited, particularly in North America. That's beginning to change, and according to a recent article published on Bicycle Retailer, Trek will soon be entering the world of online bike sales.
Customers will be able to go to the company's website, configure and pay for a bike, and it will then be sent to the shop of their choice for assembly and pickup. The shop will be compensated for the sale of the bike, although a portion will be removed to account for the shipping and handling - the article states that when all is said and done, “retailers will receive roughly 80 percent of their normal margin on these new sales.”
The difference between this model and that of a true consumer direct operation is that brick and mortar stores are still involved, and customers need to at least have some form of interaction with a retailer before riding their new bike. The article goes on to explain that Trek has plans to help shops raise the amount of revenue they derive from service by offering mechanic and service manager education programs, and will be “building a 5,000 square foot service education center at its Wisconsin factory.”
Online shopping has changed the way we purchase goods, and bicycle manufacturers and dealers are still figuring out the lay of the land.
Full article on Bicycle Retailer Tweet
Online shopping for bike parts and accessories has become commonplace, but despite the fact that you can buy everything from cable ends to suspension forks without leaving your couch, the options for purchasing a complete bike are still fairly limited, particularly in North America. That's beginning to change, and according to a recent article published on Bicycle Retailer, Trek will soon be entering the world of online bike sales.
Customers will be able to go to the company's website, configure and pay for a bike, and it will then be sent to the shop of their choice for assembly and pickup. The shop will be compensated for the sale of the bike, although a portion will be removed to account for the shipping and handling - the article states that when all is said and done, “retailers will receive roughly 80 percent of their normal margin on these new sales.”
The difference between this model and that of a true consumer direct operation is that brick and mortar stores are still involved, and customers need to at least have some form of interaction with a retailer before riding their new bike. The article goes on to explain that Trek has plans to help shops raise the amount of revenue they derive from service by offering mechanic and service manager education programs, and will be “building a 5,000 square foot service education center at its Wisconsin factory.”
Online shopping has changed the way we purchase goods, and bicycle manufacturers and dealers are still figuring out the lay of the land.
Full article on Bicycle Retailer Tweet
