It's OFFICIAL! I'm going to be an LBS owner!

[PinkBike]

definitely have shop rides that start at your shop, people can come in last-minute and use the restroom or buy whatever they forgot (like chamois butter, clif bars, tubes) before or after the ride.

energy bars and gels

gotta have a place to park the bike when i come in to shop, the ramp and auto-door sounds great

jerseys and socks with your shop logo (voler is also a good place to buy, http://www.velowear.com/)

i like the idea of having weekly mechanic demonstrations so people can learn how to change a flat or do minor repair or adjustments. or learn how to fit their bike. or learn what type of bike is best for them.

a very interactive website (not one that just says your hours and brands, but one where i can see and search all your products)

anyway, i'll be visiting when you're up and running, put me on your email list!!

[mimitabby]

please put your logo on a waterbottle. then make it available by mail and a bunch of TE gals will probably want one.

[RoadRaven]

First... CONGRATS!!!!

That is WAAAAAAY kewel...

You have some fab "inside-the-heads-of-customers" info here. Great idea to ask

I agree a small cubicle somewhere is an excellent idea. I bought a jersey the other day that I discarded as too small and was about to put on back on the rack... until the shop assisant suggested I try it on - the shop had changed hands and been renovated, and there, between bike pumps and helmets was a little changing cubicle!

I haven't noticed in this thread, but maybe I have missed it... what focus will your shop have? Mountain biking? Commuting? Road Racing?

Obviously you can have more than one type... but your staff will dictate who comes to you. The LBS closest has a couple of mountain bikers there, and for a long time it was a commute and mtn bike shop - one of the owners is a road racer, so it will be interestig to see if clients follow...

Napier LBS has no experts now in road racing, so in its change of ownership, it went from a shop who had a reasonable racing clientele to one who appears to cater for families and commuters and middle of the range racing bikes.

Hastings LBS has several top-end road racers working there (at least two are going to the cycling nationals next week), so they tend to sell lots of top end bikes and equipment (thats where my partner got his two cervellos from - like Cancellara rides) but they haven't lost the small-town friendly touch and have an excellent family based and beginning cyclist base too.

The LBS furthest away from me has women who race working there, so they have quite a few female clients...

As well as thinking about your passion and what your shop will be known for... think also a bit about specialist bikes - like tandems or recumbents... would it be worth havng examples of these bikes in store, with someone who knows about them, and ability to access what people want/size etc when someone shows interest...

[onimity]

The vending machine idea is great!

And a couple of other things...

Ditto what the others said about bike parking...but I'll add that when I'm out on my road bike I almost never have a lock. My favorite LBS has a rack at the front of the store (inside) where I can put it & know it will be safe. Also, people often want to bring the bike in & have it with them when looking at things like bar tape, panniers, seats, etc., so make sure that you have wide aisles to accommodate that.

There is a new bike shop by my house & the people are really nice but I hardly ever go there because it is so cluttered with bikes/clothing racks/etc. that you can't bring a bike in. I was looking for a new saddle...they were wedged in a corner that took me 15 mins to get to with my bike, and I knocked a million things over in the process. Ugh. They are really nice but it seems a lot easier to ride the extra 5 miles to a shop that accommodates my bike...

Plus, having people's bikes in your shop is a good sales opportunity for you: hey, this bar tape would look great on your bike! Have you ever thought about trying clipless pedals? How do you like that saddle? Do you have a frame pump? etc.

My LBS offers a regular free maintenance class...a good way to make people confident with their bikes and sell basic maintenance gear. I was thinking too that a good idea might be to put together your own 'starter kit' for new cyclists & offer a discount on it with a bike purchase, tire levers, tubes, patch kits, multi-tool, frame or CO2 pump...and of course the bike socks/water bottle with your logo.

And, a simple rule, but learn names. Or remember something significant about your customers. How are you liking that new ____? How was your ride to ___ last weekend? When I walk into a store & am greeted by name I really appreciate that.

Anne

[HappyAnika]

Congrats!

Things I like to see stocked:

-Lots of cute socks
-Pretty water bottles
-Products for women that come in colors other than pink
-Cliff products- as many flavors of blocks as you can, I also like their electrolyte drink mixes which can be hard to find
-Variety of tubes. I like threaded long stems and it's frustrating to me that the shop 4 blocks from my house only carries short smooth ones.
-Decent selection of tires.
-Chamois butter


Other:
-Have a suggestion/comment box. If you really want to know what your customers want/think, give them an easy way to tell you. Some of us can be shy and don't like confrontation. Anonymous suggestion boxes can help elicit more feedback.
-Have a decent web site. Even if you don't want to do web sales, at least have good information like current hours, an overview of products you stock, and your philosophy/mission statement. A feedback section would be great too, and if you post an e-mail address, be prompt about responding! (not immediate, but in a reasonable time frame so as to be helpful).
-Make it easy to find consumables, like tubes, cleaner, and lube.
-Have a pump (or two) out for use. I thought this was a no brainer until I needed to top off my tire and the nearest bike shop wasn't sure if they had a pump .
-I agree about having a night or two open later to accomodate the working folk.

Good luck! I like the logo.

[mtbdarby]

Congrats Denise!!!! What a big and exciting chapter for you

Add me to the list of follow up with your customers if you tell them you will. I went to two lbs looking for a conversion kit for my bike pump. One said he's order it and I'd get it in a couple days. Nope. Went to the other who said they'd check and call. Nope again. So I jimmy-rigged it and so far so good.

If it applies to your clientle, maybe a train table in a corner with a few toys and a small tv/dvd combo for the little ones so parents can shop. It's a Godsend in the lbs I do go to!

And what's all this crazy talk about bikes racks at a bike store??!! I have NEVER seen a bike rack at a bike store in this area. How sad is that....

[crazycanuck]

RM,

In regards to bike shop hours: Perth & most of Western Australia have backward shopping hours and most bike shops close at 6pm. Thursday night most shops are open until 9pm including bike shops

Congrats again!

C

[Bklynmom]

So great - congrats, and I wish you were closer to NYC! How exciting!

You got so many great suggestions. Here's one that could apply to a lot of businesses:

I think customer service and staff training is really important. We have a great local running store that treats everyone like a serious athlete, in a really nice way - even the slacker looking teens are really nice and helpful. I don't know if they do a lot of training, but they do all seem to be functioning under a great philosophy -- the manger is very nice and treats his employees kindly and firmly in front of customers.

[sgtiger]

Congratulations, Running Mommy! I'll think you'll do fine.

BTW, BIAK's buddy from high school and his wife are local LBS owners. They have a vending machine in front of their store stocked with tubes, patches, and other things that customers may need in a pinch.

[DirtDiva]

How exciting! All the best with the new shop.

Re: the saddle library idea...
WTB produces a set of test saddles for bike stores to lend out. I think it cost the shop I went to NZ$600 to get a set (about 8 saddles, IIRC). From personal experience, being able to take these saddles for a test drive and bring 'em back wet and muddy and all is great. Made me spend twice as much as I meant to on a new saddle for my mtb, but the new one is so kind to my bum that I just don't care. Now, people coming in and spending twice what they meant to and not being bothered by it is just what all shops like...