How much of an LBS premium are you willing to pay?

[BobbyJones]

Did you ask them why they were trying to milk you for $100?

Reminds me of the time I bought a car.. called around, knew what I wanted and explained I wasn't haggling and just wanted the best deal they could do. My pitch was "It's your sale to lose..."

On the way to dealer A to buy (who gave me the best price on the phone), I passed by a dealer B (who I didn't call) and stopped in. Right off the bat they gave me a much better deal than dealer A.

Called Dealer A to cancel, got an earful. Reminded him that it was his sale to lose. Then the swearing started.

Some people. Sheesh.

[CampyorBust]

In short I support me getting the best deal possible, if necessity trumps financial goals then usually the shop wins, if not the internets. If the shop is willing to play ball and is able to recognize/values a customer who wont bend over well then a beautiful symbiosis occurs and may blossom into a dealer/junkie relationship – I love these but they are rare these days.

Campy, Enve and DW link I need some high end stuff please (snifle snifle snort snort)
Yo man I got yo Campy over here…
Yah man can you spare some Campy, can ya? Can ya? Do you have lay away, monthly installments?
Motha F… go see my buddy he’s got some Shim Sham and Charbon to get you though the season. (and his buddy wants $5k for a Chinarello)

On a number of occasions I thought I had found shops that would play ball I quote “you will get deals not steals” (ok fair enough) only to come back with prices MSRP and above. Meh I never set foot in there again. Your word is your bond.

I have no problem supporting an LBS (I have no shop affiliations). Which is always on the small stuff, for the convenience of buying it there and then is great and I have no problem paying a tad bit extra for it. However on the larger stuff like actual bikes and components I can be a terror of a frugal fanny and picker of nits. For me it is out of necessity I HAVE to get the best bang for my buck or I just wont buy. I am not exactly rolling in the dough and if I had the means to support a shop completely I probably would and I too would expect to pay no more than $65 MSRP (at the very least if not wiith a nice discount) and you probably have sales tax on top of that. That $100 price is ridiculous and the fact that a shop that you frequent and have supported for years tried to let that stick would not sit well with me at all. I am not sure I would return, must be a damn good mechanic. Actually there are fair few out there great dudes and dudets.

What really rubs me the wrong way are people who count other peoples money. E.g. a shop that takes note of the kind of car you drive and what they perceive your financial standings are and charge you based on that. I see red when this happens. Prices, charges and labor estimates should be consistent across the board. Alas we are a profit driven society, someday perhaps…

Its always nice to have a shop price match but getting there is not exactly a pleasant experience always. Which is why now I avoid asking and just take to the internet and they end up loosing a sale. This stinks for all involved except for the flees that take their nibble and move on to the next dog.

So yeah shops win when necessity trumps financial constrictions and goals. For example after my water bottle learning thread I was hankering for some Arundels, and I missed out on two on fleebay just the right model and color for $40! I waited until I needed a water bottle cage asap so I ended up with another Bontrager cage from an LBS. The cage is meh, no bling but seems to function as intended.

Meow.

[RedRider]

Just to clarify. In February, Shimano USA cut wholesale/msrp by approx 25-35% on most of their products. Yes, an Ultegra cassette was about $100 BEFORE the cut and about $65 afterwards.
This did two things: 1- US pricing came closer in line with the euro-etailers 2- Shimano inventory at bike shops lost 25-35% value.

[Jim9112]

I haven't had a shop work on my bikes in what seems like forever. If I head into a shop it's because I want to see something in person first or try something on. I'm willing to pay extra for that. I'm also not going to be that guy that try's on the shoes and walks out and orders them online. I have a friend who is a shop mechanic who has taught me a lot over the years so ill occasionally stop in for some lube or brake pads and a friendly conversation. I'm also willing to pay a few bucks more for that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[beeatnik]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

The 'playing field' is not flat.

The world might be....

http://www.amazon.com/World-Flat-3-0...+world+is+flat

[makoti]

Am I asking advice on an item I'm buying? I'll pay what they are asking, because I get the product and expertise.
Am I getting something they have in stock, but I know what I want? How soon do I need/want it? Now? I'll pay what they are asking. Can I wait? I'll pay 10-20% more than online because I get it faster.
Am I getting something they need to order, so I have to wait either way? No more than 10% more.
I get almost all my service done there. They carry almost no brands I'd wear, so there isn't much to spend my money on, anyway.

[livingminimal]

I pay list -20%. That discount has been going since I became a regular at the shop and pretty much pledged my eternal allegiance to the shop, corroborated with a series of Yelp reviews stating as much. I never asked for that or any discount. When I send an email I usually get a response that says "your price is..."

I also get a ton of my maintenance and general tech work done at no cost. I rarely, as in almost never, bring them something I didn't buy. When I have, it's usually because of some weird confluence of trades that landed me a piece I wanted to experiment with or something, or used on PL.

I never buy anything from any other retailer. Ever. I've done it in the past and I do not feel good about it, because I will at some point be at the shop with the product, either lining up for a ride, or just hanging out, etc.

I will support my shop, this shop, until the day either I die or the shop does.

That said, I would never build another relationship like this with another shop locally. Everything here is big-box style, or jock jams, or whatever. My shop has panache, a love of bicycle riding, a love of racing lore and history, cold beer in the fridge, a malfunctioning espresso machine, and surly characters.

If my shop did die, I'd be buying online and learning what I needed to do myself or paying someone just for service. With a partially broken heart.

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by echelon_john

So I have a serious question that applies to bike shops and other retailers facing competition from online.

The example I'll use is shopping for bathroom tile, which we're in the process of. After going to a couple of local places where the 'design consultant' knew less about the products than we did after doing a bunch of research, we ordered some samples online from a place NOT close to us. Their price was very competitive, and even with shipping would be a pretty good deal.

Despite not being thrilled with their service, I popped back over to the tile shop, asked them if they could get the brand/type we'd found, and told them I'd prefer to buy locally if they could come close on price. Balancing out for shipping, tax (which we wouldn't be paying), etc, they came up with an all-in price about 10% higher than option B. I gladly paid the 10% more to buy locally, and they seemed happy that I'd given them the opportunity to make a sale. For me, the 10% premium got me lower risk of breakage/issues with shipping, and I was happy to support a local business that was willing to work with me. For them, it means they made margin of probably $1500 (instead of $2000-$2250) rather than zero.

So which is more better/worse for local retailers: having customers disappear (because they're buying online) or having customers negotiate price based on what they're finding elsewhere? It seems like a low-effort sale if someone comes in ready to buy and asking you to match/compete with a price.

Would a bike shop rather price match and make something, or lose the customer and make nothing?

You give an excellent example, but here in lies the problem. Customer "A" does your approach and gets a part at a discount. customer "B" pays full list. After enough of this a business gets the reputation of not being consistent or fair with pricing, playing favorites.

In this day and age, I feel somewhat for the small business owner. But, at the same time, living on the fixed salary of a state employee, I have to budget my money.

[quauhnahuac]

the responses in this thread from bike shop owners really seem to reveal the "old" mentality and give good insight into why bike shops with this mindset are unable/unwilling to adapt to a changing marketplace and end up going out of business. it comes across as stubborn, for lack of a better word, and is a shame that talented mechanics lose their jobs when a store goes out of business because the old guard refused to adapt

[weisan]

I stopped going to or buying anything from lbs ever since I discovered that I can find better deals here or online, same with information or advice on how to fix my own bikes. So, that was more than 12-15 years ago.

But recently, I had to go through Bicycle Sports Shop (an LBS in Austin) to handle the recall of a Zipp wheel. They were more than generous with their time so I intend to bring a crate of Guinness Stout tomorrow when I pick the wheel up as a way of saying thank you. I also bought a couple of Specialized tires that were on promotion currently (buy one get one free). The store prices of these tires were the same as online but I saved on shipping.

Bottom line is: There got to be compeling reason for me to use an LBS, if not, I simply don't.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by Russian bear

I ordered some shimano consumables (DA cassette, Ultegra chain) for less than I could have bought it at the shop.

Oh and I work at said shop.

I do too on occasion.

The Euro sites sell for retail what I pay wholesale.

Makes things tough

M

[beeatnik]

Originally Posted by livingminimal

I pay list -20%. That discount has been going since I became a regular at the shop and pretty much pledged my eternal allegiance to the shop, corroborated with a series of Yelp reviews stating as much. I never asked for that or any discount. When I send an email I usually get a response that says "your price is..."

I also get a ton of my maintenance and general tech work done at no cost. I rarely, as in almost never, bring them something I didn't buy. When I have, it's usually because of some weird confluence of trades that landed me a piece I wanted to experiment with or something, or used on PL.

I never buy anything from any other retailer. Ever. I've done it in the past and I do not feel good about it, because I will at some point be at the shop with the product, either lining up for a ride, or just hanging out, etc.

I will support my shop, this shop, until the day either I die or the shop does.

That said, I would never build another relationship like this with another shop locally. Everything here is big-box style, or jock jams, or whatever. My shop has panache, a love of bicycle riding, a love of racing lore and history, cold beer in the fridge, a malfunctioning espresso machine, and surly characters.

If my shop did die, I'd be buying online and learning what I needed to do myself or paying someone just for service. With a partially broken heart.

D, I respect your style.

Could never play it the way you do because as a former shop rat, I came to the sad conclusion that there are no friends in business (or was that love and war?). That said my LBS does about 10 full builds a year for me at half the going local labor rate and I refer at least one person a month to them. I think I bought one chain and a water bottle there in 2015.

That said the relationship above can't be described as all business. I get a great price, sure, but I'm mainly buying piece of mind. I know they won't rip me off. I know I can bring a frame and parts in at noon on a Friday and the bike will be ready by Friday evening. They like me and I like them as our relationship is transparent. Now, there's a nearby shop which carries the clothing line with which I'm intimately involved. I'll never bring a frame and parts to them (their wrench is the most knowledgeable in the area). See, if I brought them my bika then the relationship would become personal (as my expectations are rigid) and that would probably ruin the business relationship. Wacky, I know.

Oh, to answer the OP's question, a 20% premium is qoo for coffee, tubes, rim tape, cheap sunglasses, socks and headset spacers

[ripvanrando]

I pay full price when I buy something at a local bike shop.

The local bike shops almost never have what I need and I'm forced to shop online.

[RedRider]

And when the local charity rides want mechanical support, little leagues need sponsors... I can always click the Ribble banner at the top of this page...

[nate2351]

Originally Posted by RedRider

Just to clarify. In February, Shimano USA cut wholesale/msrp by approx 25-35% on most of their products. Yes, an Ultegra cassette was about $100 BEFORE the cut and about $65 afterwards.
This did two things: 1- US pricing came closer in line with the euro-etailers 2- Shimano inventory at bike shops lost 25-35% value.

To add, I'd like to ask everyone here to guess how much Shimano reimbursed shops for having to sell their old inventory at below their previous cost.

That would be ZERO.