REI to carry Bontrager

[Bruce K]

Big plus for Trek

Which accessory manufacturers does this affect in a negative way (if any?)

BK

[peanutgallery]

Trek is pulling a Burton. They want to grow but don't see the capability with their dealer base to absorb/sell all the made in China stuff they want to shill. Hence the REI deal and all the stores they've acquired over the last few years

It hurts their own independently owned shops and puts Specialized in a funky position to try and keep up. Watch for them to do something a little nutty next and thank the gods that you're not a Trek or Specialized dealer. For the short term...the winner is the consumer that resides in a REI market and loves to ride bikes. Long term is TBD

The real question...how much Bontrager crap can the market really bear. It's just mid range stuff, not the best helmet/light/tube/shoe/tire etc but not the worst and you get thru the weekend or whatever. There's only so many people that ride, so the market does have a ceiling. Be interested to watch, but I think other P&A companies will be good

[oldpotatoe]

I think any time a BIG bike stuff maker can place their product in a all 'round, sports/outdoor specialty store, it will work well..Going to REI for some hiking boots? Walking by the 'bike part'''..oooh..ahh..and I'll get that Bontrager whatever before I get the boots.
PLUS, like it or don't 'bike shops' sometimes have a 'vibe' that some people can't stand..'bike snobs'..people don't like to be at a knowledge disadvantage(mostly guys) when they go into a store. REI is full of 'cool people', who don't have that 'attitude'...I'd look for Spec-ed to do the same thing somewhere as that 'LBS' continues to decline.

[mdeth1313]

...or, so many independent shops can't make it and are closing up, what's left?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I think any time a BIG bike stuff maker can place their product in a all 'round, sports/outdoor specialty store, it will work well..Going to REI for some hiking boots? Walking by the 'bike part'''..oooh..ahh..and I'll get that Bontrager whe-atever before I get the boots.
PLUS, like it or don't 'bike shops' sometimes have a 'vibe' that some people can't stand..'bike snobs'..people don't like to be at a knowledge disadvantage(mostly guys) when they go into a store. REI is full of 'cool people', who don't have that 'attitude'...I'd look for Spec-ed to do the same thing somewhere as that 'LBS' continues to decline.

Certainly some truth to this.

That said REI seems to be staffed more and more by people who fit a profile beyond experience and knowledge these days. I swear 95% of the staff points to the same one or two employees as the go to or more often just looks things up online and spews the Co. drivel of a product description. Ea. market is different and Chicago is a good consumer market but maybe not the best for keeping the people with broad based knowledge and experience around very long. They tend to move on to "better" outdoor locations. Ask me how I know.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Certainly some truth to this.

That said REI seems to be staffed more and more by people who fit a profile beyond experience and knowledge these days. I swear 95% of the staff points to the same one or two employees as the go to or more often just looks things up online and spews the Co. drivel of a product description. Ea. market is different and Chicago is a good consumer market but maybe not the best for keeping the people with broad based knowledge and experience around very long. They tend to move on to "better" outdoor locations. Ask me how I know.

Maybe, 'probably' true as the people with decent experience go elsewhere in this era of low(albeit kinda artificial) low unemployment. REI 'probably' attracts a lot of college students and older, semi retired people..not the true 'hiking boot' enthusiast.

I haven't been in the local REI since 2 years ago..wife got some (really) expensive winter boots.. Nice but more expensive than my Sorels, which I view as kinda the 'standard'...she didn't like the 'color'..oh well..

[jamesdak]

REI lost my business when they started sticking their nose in local politics instead of just selling stuff. I don't normally pay attention or care about such stuff but they crossed the line too many times out here in recent years. So screw 'em!

[54ny77]

Here here. I don't care what way on the personal pendulum the owner or employees swing. I come to the store for a product and good service, and a fair price, not a polarizing corporate policy debate on [subject of the month]. The REI Camelback ban was just stupid. I recall reading an article a year or so ago where the impact of banning the parent company products cost the Dept. of Interior tens of millions of $ in lost tax revenue, which is money that would otherwise go to support and maintain national park lands. Dumb unintended consequence, and all that....

REI is otherwise such a terrific store. More power to 'em.

Originally Posted by jamesdak

REI lost my business when they started sticking their nose in local politics instead of just selling stuff. I don't normally pay attention or care about such stuff but they crossed the line too many times out here in recent years. So screw 'em!

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

Here here. I don't care what way on the personal pendulum the owner or employees swing. I come to the store for a product and good service, and a fair price, not a polarizing corporate policy debate on [subject of the month].

REI is not a corporate retailer. It is a co-op. It is owned by its membership, who elects the leadership of the co-op. If the membership doesn't like the policies of the leadership, they can simply elect new leadership. Since that hasn't happened, we can only assume that membership is okay with the policies.

REI currently has about 17 million members. As a member, I get to vote for the executive officers, and I also receive a yearly dividend based on corporate results, pro-rated to my amount of purchases.

[54ny77]

Wow, didn't know that.

Pretty unique in retailing then, yes?

How was the proposal received (meaning, was it a divisive vote?) by the membership? Cutting off Giro, Camelback, etc. because the parent owns a gun maker sounds like cutting off the nose to spite the face. Employees of those companies (as well as employees at REI and its consumers) are caught in the conglomerate nature of its diverse holdings.

Originally Posted by Mark McM

REI is not a corporate retailer. It is a co-op. It is owned by its membership, who elects the leadership of the co-op. If the membership doesn't like the policies of the leadership, they can simply elect new leadership. Since that hasn't happened, we can only assume that membership is okay with the policies.

REI currently has about 17 million members. As a member, I get to vote for the executive officers, and I also receive a yearly dividend based on corporate results, pro-rated to my amount of purchases.

[peanutgallery]

They're making it just fine...just not in a way that benefits Trek/Specialized. Their retail prices stay fairly constant but the cost/commitment on the dealer end have changed a bunch in the last 18 months or so. There's way more pressure to frontload product and then go along with their marketing and discount programs that randomly pop up down the road and conveniently come out of the LBS end. Win for Trek/Specialized, big lose for the LBS

Smart retailers will cut them out where applicable and stock the P & A that they can make $ on and doesn't change every couple of months. If you let the Trek/Specialized rep "help" you at the LBS level you're going for a ride to the poor house. Other companies are much easier to work with, have far better margins, better delivery dates and curiously enough...better inventory available to pick and choose from when needed. The bikes sell on their own, so I have to stomach that risk...P & A? I am out of that scene

Whenever I go to a metro area and I see a 7000 sq foot Specialized or Trek store anchoring a strip mall or whatever...all I see is overhead and upside-down financials with a little commercial real estate craziness thrown. I know how much stuff costs and how much one would have to sell to make that work, those are the guys that get in trouble....dreamers

Originally Posted by mdeth1313

...or, so many independent shops can't make it and are closing up, what's left?

[bcroslin]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

REI lost my business when they started sticking their nose in local politics instead of just selling stuff. I don't normally pay attention or care about such stuff but they crossed the line too many times out here in recent years. So screw 'em!

And that's exactly why I shop at REI and support brands like Patagonia. The only way the corporatocracy gets it is if you hit them in the wallet.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by bcroslin

And that's exactly why I shop at REI and support brands like Patagonia. The only way the corporatocracy gets it is if you hit them in the wallet.

LOL, yet both of these companies have stuck their nose in and tried to blackmail both our state government and the people of the state over use of public lands. Let's see, they deal in outdoor rec. Do they really care about the land or about the market for their companies. Bunch of hypocrites.

[Burnette]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I think any time a BIG bike stuff maker can place their product in a all 'round, sports/outdoor specialty store, it will work well..Going to REI for some hiking boots? Walking by the 'bike part'''..oooh..ahh..and I'll get that Bontrager whatever before I get the boots.
PLUS, like it or don't 'bike shops' sometimes have a 'vibe' that some people can't stand..'bike snobs'..people don't like to be at a knowledge disadvantage(mostly guys) when they go into a store. REI is full of 'cool people', who don't have that 'attitude'...I'd look for Spec-ed to do the same thing somewhere as that 'LBS' continues to decline.

All of this, I agree^.

The R.E.I. near me is awesome. No pretentious BS, great prices, great staff on general and the people doing bike service are knowledgeable and good people too.

I hope this is a trend and we see more cycling brands on the shelves and bike racks at R.E.I. and other sporting goods stores.

[quickfeet]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

LOL, yet both of these companies have stuck their nose in and tried to blackmail both our state government and the people of the state over use of public lands. Let's see, they deal in outdoor rec. Do they really care about the land or about the market for their companies. Bunch of hypocrites.

Why can’t the care about both of those things?