Can anyone tell me why bike shops only open for half a day on Sunday?

**Ixion** · 22nd February 2010, 09:32

Originally Posted by merv

What I like when I am overseas in great countries like Aus and USA (laugh if you like) the shops seem to open late and close late though the bike shops aren't open all weekend from what I have seen. This makes a lot of sense to me. Office workers go in before 9 and go home at around 5, shop workers go in by 10 and stay until 7, 8 or 9pm. So they can hang out their washing before work (yeah right) drop off the kids at school etc while the office workers knock off early, get the shopping done, go and pick the kids up from creche or whatever and get the dinner on etc then the shop worker comes home all sweet I reckon.

I would just love the bike shops open until say 7pm at least so I can get what I want and then I wouldn't even care if they didn't open in the weekend - we could all go riding then. A few times I order my stuff from Malcolm at Econohonda just because its easier getting it delivered (by the right Courier) than waiting until Saturday to drive over to Motomart for example.

We definitely need better overlap in the times we can do things.

Exactly so. Surely the whole point of retail is to be open when your customers are free to visit you? Which, for bikes shops, means being open when the customers are not at work!.

If your business depends on beneficiaries , then you can open 9 - 5 Mon - Fri. Beneficiaries have few time constariants.

But bike shops, I imagine, require customers with more disposable income. That means that the customers will mainly be shut away in their offices, factories etc during those times.

So, open when they are free to visit the shop. That doesn't mean working longer hours. Close when the customers are not likely to be there.

Myself, I am always going to be reluctant to take time off work to go to a bike shop. That leaves only Saturday morning - a time with many, many other calls upon it. The result - buying over the internet. Simply because, I can shop at the time that suits me, not the time that suits the shopkeeper. If you want my money - open at a time when I can be there.

Yet, the trade complain about people buying over the internet. None so blind ...

Originally Posted by Winston001

There have been quite a number of bike shops close up and down New Zealand over the past 5 years - and you want the survivors to work longer hours??!!

Have a look around next time you are out in a city/suburban shopping street. Very few small shops open beyond Saturday morning.

Perhaps they closed because they were never open when potential custoemr could attend them?

**kwaka_crasher** · 22nd February 2010, 09:38

Originally Posted by YellowDog

I hear Pack & Save are thinking about stocking Suzukis

I don't believe you. They wouldn't lower themselves...

**Big Dave** · 22nd February 2010, 09:59

Here - I can say if for the salesmen.
Because at 3.30 on a Sunday afternoon, when your young family is at home, or your mates are all riding, and you haven't seen anybody but pimply faced goobers, who couldn't afford a motorcycle if they pooled their dole cheques, for the last four hours - and the only decent prospect you followed up has had the guts chewed out of the deal by a rival retailer desperate for turnover, you say fuck this for a joke.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 22nd February 2010, 10:00

So they get at least half a day a week to go for a ride... ???

**Shaun** · 22nd February 2010, 10:40

Originally Posted by Robert Taylor

EXACTLY. The whole deal that you mention is self perpetuating. With what I do ( suspension backup for distributor teams etc) I have recently completed 7 x 7 day weeks on the trot. Lots of pressure. Thats an extreme example and Id sure like some time at home well away from motorcycles. 5 day weeks would be great.

Get off here then, and get some work done

**merv** · 22nd February 2010, 12:23

To add to this, back when I started with bikes in the late 60's the big time for bike shops, and in fact all shops, was Friday nights until 9pm, then we started seeing shopping centres open on Thursday nights.

Once things freed up, the other shops started opening 7 days a week and dropped the late nights in many cases. That was about early 80's I think. However, the bike shops dropped the late nights but never went 7 days.

So back to my earlier comment, I don't expect them to be open 7 days and in fact wouldn't care if they closed in the weekend provided they gave me service at some time when I'm not stuck in the office. I don't even expect the 9pm Friday thing any more either, 7pm weekdays would be just fine.

**Big Dave** · 22nd February 2010, 12:28

Any salesman worth his commission would meet a suitably qualified and genuine purchaser outside normal trading hours, at a mutually convenient time, by appointment.

**merv** · 22nd February 2010, 12:36

That is true Dave, but spares etc. Weekend for me is a classic point, on Saturday I puncture the front tyre on my XR, luckily I have a spare tube at home so repair it around 5pm. Now I don't have a spare, so somehow I have to get myself to Motomart when they are open so I have a spare, especially before the CCA, or do I order one to be delivered at home from someone that does that kind of sales like MotoMail? If I did buy elsewhere, then I could be accused of not supporting the local business.

**Winston001** · 22nd February 2010, 12:41

Originally Posted by merv

So back to my earlier comment, I don't expect them to be open 7 days and in fact wouldn't care if they closed in the weekend provided they gave me service at some time when I'm not stuck in the office. I don't even expect the 9pm Friday thing any more either, 7pm weekdays would be just fine.

Mmmm.....so why aren't you in the office on Sunday, every Sunday? And in the office until 7:00pm every night?

**Ixion** · 22nd February 2010, 12:50

..

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Any salesman worth his commission would meet a suitably qualified and genuine purchaser outside normal trading hours, at a mutually convenient time, by appointment.

How do I know if I am a genuine purchaser until I can get a chance to see what's on offer? Peering in the window of the closed shop doesn't really cut it.

And spares are the biggest issue.

Start a job Saturday. oh oh the wozzaname is worn out. Do I have time to rush to the shop to buy/order one before noon. Probably not. That means

either i order off the internet, by next Saturday it'll be here or
wait until next Saturday then get up early and go to the bike shop. Who probably don't have it in stock so that's another weekend wasted.

Guess which one I'll do.

Merv is absolutely right about late nights. If they were open until 8pm (just one night a week even) , that'd work for me. Repco get a LOT of business from me that Supercheap miss out on - just cos Repco are open till 7pm. Don't expect the staff to work longer hours - I often start at 10, finish at 7. Not everyone wants to start work at 9am. And are bikes shops REALLY that busy between 9 and 11?

Bike shops just don't seem interested in customers that have a job. Which is odd, cos they're the ones with money. I guess maybe they're focused on the lawyers and dentists who can take time off whenever they want for a trip to the bike shop during the day.

**mynameis** · 22nd February 2010, 12:51

Originally Posted by wild_weston

Just never made sense, you don't see harvey norman or dick smith closing early on a sunday (just comparing some retailers).

It just seems like a really strange business model to me. At first I thought they closed to allow for shop organised rides but this doesn't seem to be the case.

Originally Posted by wild_weston

Maybe I'm thinking a bit too corporate - I suppose bike shops are run by people with a passion for their work (where as you couldn't say the same of a harvey norman manager).

All for corporate thinking and analysing business models when you're comparing Dick Smiths and Harvey Norman to Bike Shops and SHOP organised rides

Great business accumen

**Ixion** · 22nd February 2010, 12:52

Originally Posted by Winston001

Mmmm.....so why aren't you in the office on Sunday, every Sunday? And in the office until 7:00pm every night?

I am. Many Sundays. And most evenings. But if I'm at work Sunday, I take Monday off (or Friday). If I'm there at 7, I start appropriately later the next morning. (infuriatingly, even a late start doesn't give me time to ride to the bike shop, do business, and then ride to work and get there by 9:30. )

**Big Dave** · 22nd February 2010, 12:59

You can order online from a variety of local parts departments. Some wholesalers even offer database access and 'speedy local delivery'.

**Coldrider** · 22nd February 2010, 13:00

Originally Posted by wild_weston

Just never made sense, you don't see harvey norman or dick smith closing early on a sunday (just comparing some retailers).

It just seems like a really strange business model to me. At first I thought they closed to allow for shop organised rides but this doesn't seem to be the case.

Following these business models I guess with interest free, no depost and nothing to pay for 36 months, the bike shops would never be able to hold enough stock of VFR1200's to meet demand.