Originally Posted by Mr. Underbridge

To attract commuters, hire employees who commute to work. Having staff who knows what we're going through is key. Aside from that, just stock the stuff we'll need. That means racks, fenders, good lights, etc. Have commuter-friendly tires - Armadillos, Gatorskins and Marathons for 700C, and semi-slicks for 26".

Also, maybe host events. Put up flyers near your shop (and signs in it) advertising a "Bike commuting 101" get-together. Then have staff interact with people, and go through the pros/cons of different equipment and clothing. I know that was one of the bigger hurdles for me, especially once winter started closing in. Also maybe talk about route selection for commuting, since that's one of the things that doesn't immediately occur to newbies.

Good for you for caring about commuters. We recently had a new shop open, and I was really excited because it would allow me to avoid Performance. No such luck, though, as nearly everything in the store was dedicated to high-end roadies and a few nice MTBs. Probably won't be going back.