I recently spoke with a retailer who had expressed some nervousness at a growing trend: the mobile (van-based) bike shop. Even though these mobile bike shops have existed for a while in many markets, Velofix and Beeline are making solid in-roads and getting a lot of press. Back in April, Velofix announced its 100th franchise. Outside Magazine has written about them. But what is the fear of the mobile bike shop about?
Most of what I hear (and what I’ll address in this post) is fear of the unknown. Being a little afraid of a new business style that is well-branded and easy for the consumer to use is justified. But make no mistake, these franchises have a serious uphill battle.
Let’s shine some light on the unknown. Cycling has a mostly stagnant (or Continue reading “Scared of the mobile bike shop trend?”