Why I shop online.

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Kies

Guest
These shops will have to compete with online prices or eventually go out of business. If they decrease the prices,they will still make a profit,but just not as much.
Hold out for bigger profits and they will end up closed with no profit
 

youngoldbloke

The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
It is very difficult to 'showroom' in many LBSs as they seem to be tied to specific brands, and they just do not have the range or stock that can be offered online. Everything always seems to be for sale at manufacturers RRP too. I can often get 10% off with CTC membership card or club membership, but it is very rare for prices to be competitive anyway. I also live 10 miles from the closest LBS, so unless I have other reasons for the journey I order online, safe in the knowledge that it is unlikely the shop will be able to satisfy my requirements.
 

screenman

Squire
These shops will have to compete with online prices or eventually go out of business. If they decrease the prices,they will still make a profit,but just not as much.
Hold out for bigger profits and they will end up closed with no profit

Profit only comes once all the bills have been paid, you are talking about margin.

To the OP, why not buy a metre of helicopter tape, that way you will always have something in stock, even on a Sunday.
 

Glenn

Veteran
I was in Go Outdoors on Saturday looking at rucksacks, the one that interested me was £80, a quick search online and I found it cheaper. Go Outdoors have a price promise, they will match then knock off a further 10% for any UK based website or store, I got my sack for £64.
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
What's Sunday got to do with it?
Your first point was that the LBS was shut. Most of them are on Sundays. Which seems reasonable. I like my bike shops to be run by people who get to ride bikes now and again. I agree that it would have been nice if the big shops had them in stock, but a phone call to check would have saved you the trip, and as a couple of people have pointed out, it's hardly an urgent short-notice item, and there are various kinds of tape that would do either temporarily or as a permanent alternative. Why is this in Beginners, anyway?
 
OP
OP
SpokeyDokey

SpokeyDokey

68, & my GP says I will officially be old at 70!
Moderator
Your first point was that the LBS was shut. Most of them are on Sundays. Which seems reasonable. I like my bike shops to be run by people who get to ride bikes now and again. I agree that it would have been nice if the big shops had them in stock, but a phone call to check would have saved you the trip, and as a couple of people have pointed out, it's hardly an urgent short-notice item, and there are various kinds of tape that would do either temporarily or as a permanent alternative. Why is this in Beginners, anyway?

I'm a beginner. I like this part of the forum.
 

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
It is very difficult to 'showroom' in many LBSs as they seem to be tied to specific brands, and they just do not have the range or stock that can be offered online. .
Cannot see your logic in this. My 2 local LBSs both have specific major brands, which makes it easier to showroom (Trek, Bontrager, Endura, Specialized etc) as they are commodity items and more easily compared than if they stocked a rare esoteric brand that is harder to find elsewhere
 

Mr Haematocrit

msg me on kik for android
I always try to use my LBS as they provide service most onlie retailers are unable to compete with.
I don't look at the price closely and compare, if its what I am willing to pay for the product I buy it.
They treat me exceptionally well and now have a decent range of my favorite brands in stock as they continue to improve the service they offer to me.

Buying soley on price is very short sighted imho... When online retailers have closed high street shop do you think they will ultimately keep the prices low once their are no other alternatives?
 

Mr Haematocrit

msg me on kik for android
Yes - the alternatives would be other online retailers.

Supermarket chains between them fix the prices given to suppliers such as farmers and control the price of our weekly shop. Yes you have a choice between the big players but the small retailer is no longer compeditive.
Any section of the retail enviroment could go the same way imho and be controlled by the large players... Im all for supporting the small retailer who offers service and quality, rather than stack it high, sell it cheap and ignore quality.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Supermarket chains between them fix the prices given to suppliers such as farmers and control the price of our weekly shop. Yes you have a choice between the big players but the small retailer is no longer compeditive.
Any section of the retail enviroment could go the same way imho and be controlled by the large players... Im all for supporting the small retailer who offers service and quality, rather than stack it high, sell it cheap and ignore quality.
If enough people agree with you, then the independent shops will survive.

Actually, I do support my local shops. When my sister visited, she queried how much I was spending for food in those shops but I told her that I liked them, and most of any savings made by shopping in Halifax, for example, would be swallowed up by the transport costs. I'd also ake several hours to do my shopping there rather than 25 minutes or so here.

Before I got ill, I only shopped out of Hebden Bridge a couple of times a year. I need the walking exercise now though, so I do a 6 mile walk to Morrisons and Lidl in Todmorden once or twice a month. The rest of my shopping is still local. Big, expensive things are usually bought online though.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
High Street retailing has a problem. A few years ago we were looking for a bed. We had spent decades on rubbish ones, inherited from relatives and we thought we might treat ourselves to a comfortable nocturnal platform. After all, about a third of our lives is spent there. Anyway, we went to a local bed shop, not a big chain, tried lying on a few beds, and found one that was really comfortable. It cost £1900 and we went away to scratch our heads about financing it.
I searched for the same model on the internet and found that an online bed outlet would deliver the exact same model for £800.

Yes, I felt a bit of a sh1t for not using the local shop, but not an £1100 sh1t. I don't have that money to throw away for the convenience of 30 minutes in a local shop.
That's the problem.
 

T.M.H.N.E.T

Rainbows aren't just for world champions
Location
Northern Ireland
My LBS was actually 1/3 of the price of CRC's closest matching item I bought on Monday,even counting that I live about 30mins from either.(and was driving there anyway)
 
D

Deleted member 23692

Guest
Cannot see your logic in this. My 2 local LBSs both have specific major brands, which makes it easier to showroom (Trek, Bontrager, Endura, Specialized etc) as they are commodity items and more easily compared than if they stocked a rare esoteric brand that is harder to find elsewhere
My LBS focsus on those self same brands which is all well and good if you're buying from the industry's volume shifters. Personally speaking I'd rather have a wider choice of products and not be 'forced' into buying the same as everyone else solely because the LBS holds stock from popular brands they know they can sell. Granted that's a sound business decision on their part, and one any shop owner has to make but really does limit choice.
 
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