BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
J’s Cycle Shack has published a video on YouTube on how the recent changes from Specialized have affected the retailer and what this means for customers.
Specialized launched direct-to-consumer sales in the UK earlier this month, offering two delivery options to customers – Ship to Home and Specialized Delivery.
J’s Cycle Shack has published a video with a review of the situation from its point of view: “Initially when you look at it, you think: “Oh my God, Specialized is going solely direct to the consumer, they’re going to cut us out, we’ve got all these bikes and it’s going to be a disaster.” It’s not like that at all.
“It’s a huge thing for them as a company, it’s great for us. We will still have available all the Specialized range, we’ll still be selling it as normal, and we’ll be able to offer the back-up if you have purchased a Specialized bike anywhere. We will still be able to service that bike, offer the warranty, which is free of charge.
“They’ve built up this eco-system to look after the rider and look after the end consumer, and we are still a huge part of that.”
The Ship to Home offer will let customers choose their bike and ship it to their desired location, pre-built with minimal assembly. A Rider Care Specialist will then be available to offer over-the-phone advice for assembly, while Specialized retailers can also help following delivery.
Specialized Delivery will let customers order their bike directly to their chosen destination, and a professional technician will then ensure the bike fits and is properly set up. They will then register the bike, go over basic maintenance, and stay with the customer while they go for a spin.
“What Specialized has done here,” the video continued, “is looked at an issue and overcome and reacted to the situation presented in front of us, which is more and more people are buying bikes online, and that creates a service issue.
“Specialized has updated their business by offering that bike online, making it more accessible for the customer if we don’t have it in stock, made that available for click and collect in-store, and then set out a framework for that bike to be looked after and serviced, and the warranty taken care of, by select retailers.
“I think it’s a great idea, I think other brands will follow suit. Us working together as an industry, which is what this is creating, is ultimately the best thing for the end consumer.”
View the full video here:
“The key thing to take away from this is that it’s not following down the lines of other, only direct-to-consumer models – the main focus is for the rider. There are still a lot of options to buy Specialized product from us as the retailers,” the video concluded.
Check out the March edition of BikeBiz for an in-depth look at the industry reaction to the news.
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J’s Cycle Shack, founded in 2014, has stores in Ferrybridge and Epworth and offers an abundance of multi-sport products along with cycle workshop services, specialist bike fitting and premium after-sales.
