idiotekniQues

and huge reduction in brick and mortar stores seems to continue.

Fuji Bikes? Parent Company Now Owns Performance | Bicycling

"Your move, bike industry: Advanced Sports International (ASI), the parent company of Fuji Bikes and several other large cycling brands, announced Monday that it purchased Performance Bicycle, the largest brick-and-mortar bicycle store chain in the country and a major online retailer.


MOD NOTE: The rest of the article was deleted from this post for copyright reasons.

Maelochs

Basically, ASI bought Performance, including the Nashbar and Performance websites, but it isn't necessarily a huge deal because Performance already sold the ASI brands ... Fuji, Kestrel ES (?) and one other.

basically, more bike sales are moving online---trek, Giant, ands Specialized are already doing it, and Canyon will be coming across the ocean---they've been doing it overseas for years and apparently can beat U.S. manufacturer's prices (but I bet they raise their prices to just a little under.)

Canyon bikes have been a favorite of mine for looks only ... never rode one ....

Anyway, mostly bicycle insider stuff ... the real crux of the article is that more people are shopping online. Hope that doesn't shock anyone here.

jade408

I think it is because of limited differentiation of brands (and manufacturers). Bike shipping has become a checklist of specs. If you have a checklist, who cares which one you get. They are all the same anyway!

I guess bike stores, like a lot of retail, will just be some sort of showroom. Unless the user experience offers something you can't get online (community, fit, something else.)

fietsbob

Late Stage Capitalism is at full throttle ..

The trend to Monopolies ("free Trade", Hah!) It's Happening on the wholesale dealer supply end too.

RealityCzech

Misleading subject line

This is not a significant consolidation.

Garfield Cat

Its like the food industry. Remember Nabisco?

Mondelez International's portfolio includes several billion-dollar brands such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, TUC, Belvita, Triscuit, LU, Nabisco, Club Social, Barni, and Peek Freans (cookies and crackers); Milka, Terry's, Côte d'Or, Toblerone, Cadbury, Marabou, Fry's, and Lacta (chocolate); Trident, Dentyne, Chiclets, Halls, Stride, and Cadbury (gum and candy); and Tang (powdered beverages).

johnny99

Like it or not, brick-and-mortar stores need to find a way to compete against the Internet-only retailers.

There are a number of Performance stores here in Northern California, but they are terrible (poor product selection). The brands that ASI controls are not especially impressive, so I'm not sure Performance stores will necessarily improve through under their new ownership. Maybe they will finally dump their SCAT house brand (one of worst brand names ever). Have they already stopped selling SCAT bicycles? I see mostly Fuji bikes on their website now, only SCAT accessories.

indyfabz

Lots of flourishing shops here in Philly. Going to pop into one after work to order some tires.

RealityCzech

There's a very good reason that Performance closed in Walnut Creek. Horrible products, completely clueless staff and then Sports Basement and Mike's Bikes opened.

Boom. Done.

Maelochs

Yeah, I am glad I was not the only one who questioned the spending on that bit of branding ... "Scattante---carbon bikes faster than the runs."

I am not sure if ASI is planning to try to step up to compete with the Big Three (plus C'dale) or plans on being the best of the second-tier shops ... but I figure that the big issues people have with buying online is that they cannot see the bikes and no one cares once the credit card is processed.

if ASI goes for big online sales and also offers shops where people can test-ride a few different frame sizes and can get help if assembly doesn't proceed smoothly ... or instead, offer the "Ship to the store of your choice and pick up the box or the finished bike (for a free)" it might give them an edge in the one field where they shine---slightly lower-cost alternatives to the (mass-produced in identical factories (or in the same factory) in Taiwan or China) Big Three's basic offerings.

If you are getting a basic Al frame with 105 I doubt there is a significant difference between any of the manufacturers' offerings except price. ASI could carve out and keep a niche as the bike market keeps changing.

And it has Nashbar and Performance.com already ... not a bad place to start.

prtyich

And in the world of my primary sport, ice hockey, where nike bought bauer, then sold it, while other brands keep buying each other like reebok buying jofa and ccm. It seems to be a sign of the times, with the internet changing how some parts of the consumer market purchase their product (Bikes Direct >>>> Hockey Monkey, etc.)

It seems that the independent retail shops are in trouble regardless of what they sell.

Machka 

That's because brick and mortar shops haven't figured out yet that they need to focus on service.

-- excellent customer service
-- well trained staff
-- superb mechanical service for a wide range of bicycles
-- and perhaps other services.

In another thread, I mentioned the possibility of having a childcare service like gyms do so that mothers can go out for club rides. Elsewhere I think I've mentioned the idea of holding classes and work. Have a fitting workshop. Have a bicycle mechanics 101 class.

RealityCzech

You've failed to identify the most difficult challenge that local bike shops face. Especially if you know how to wrench on your bike.

Inventory.

Why go down to the store so they can order what you need when you can have it dropped on your doorstep two days later? Without tax, shipped for free?

FXjohn

almost no one does bother to be a complete bike mechanic. not terribly difficult to figure out.

RealityCzech

Can someone please translate this into coherent English?

Thanks in advance.

FXjohn

You must be slow. not everyone is a certified bike mechanic or in any way a threat to bike shops staying in business.

Need me to dumb it down any further?

Machka 

Bicycle shops need to stop focusing on inventory.

They can't stock the quantity we can get online.
They can't can't stock the variety we can get online.
They can't get it to our door as fast as we can get it there by ordering online.

Instead, they need to focus on service. Very few people know how to work on their own bicycles ... and many just simply don't want to. So provide that service. And provide the other services I mentioned.


One of the shops that is doing reasonably well in Melbourne, for example, does not sell bicycles. However, they have located themselves right next to one of the busier train stations in Melbourne and they mainly sell commute-specific bits and pieces. And the specialise in service ... especially for the commuters, but for others as well.

RealityCzech

Your third grade English teacher just called. She is super-embarrassed by your attempt to post:

"almost no one does bother to be a complete bike mechanic" This is gibberish. Maybe you're drunk or something?

Never made any reference to "certified bike mechanic" (silly concept by the way) but only the lack of inventory at many local bikes shops.

Why wait for them to order from QBP et al when you can get it quicker?

RealityCzech

You live in a different world than I do. Your Melbourne experience, thankfully, does not reflect my experience.

Machka 

That's too bad. Given that the Melbourne shop is doing so well. They've figured it out.

RealityCzech

Why is that "too bad"?

Machka 

I took it that you had not come across a shop that had figured out what works when you said that what I described with the Melbourne shop did not match anything you'd come across.

RealityCzech

Yeah, you did not understand my post at all. Oh well.

Machka 

That's OK ... I don't think you understood mine at all either.

RealityCzech

No, you're simply confused.

I get your "the sheeple need a bike shop close so they can keep riding their city bikes which they can't imagine working on, infrequently, themselves" mantra.

It's laughable, hence my replies.