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

[Crasherfromwayback]

Yeah agreed, and they aren't the only shop on Elizabeth Street, and many year's ago I wrote a story of going to those shops, one to try and buy an accessory for LB's Ducati as she'd asked me to. WMMC is like heaven compared to what I ran into there, so Pete we really still aren't bagging you, but it is as shame there is always a reason for why we only get what we get in NZ.

FYI check that thread out here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...elbourne-but!?


p.s. Carl looked after us pretty well as usual the other night at Motorad for our AGM.

Didn't take it as a bagging Merv. And Carl is a good bloke.

[dipshit]

But Merv...Melbourne has 3.5 million people to serve!

Right. So why in NZ do even small towns have 3 or 4 bike shops?


Take Alexandra in central Otago for example. Population 4500 and yet they have 3 bike shops!

Does each major brand really need its own shop..??? Why not have ONE bigger shop that sells every make under one roof..???

What would the industry have against such an idea..???

[scott411]

the distributors in NZ do not allow any more than two jap franchises per shop, and Honda normally only allows themselves, (there has been a couple of exceptions over the years)

less so in Aussie, but in the US the big shops have all 4 jap franchises plus US or euro brands as well, except Harley who are lone franchise shops,

[Crasherfromwayback]

Right. So why in NZ do even small towns have 3 or 4 bike shops?


Take Alexandra in central Otago for example. Population 4500 and yet they have 3 bike shops!

Does each major brand really need its own shop..??? Why not have ONE bigger shop that sells every make under one roof..???

What would the industry have against such an idea..???

Rural dealers do well with quads etc, and for example...Honda won't let dealers have another Japanese francise share the showroom.

[dipshit]

less so in Aussie, but in the US the big shops have all 4 jap franchises plus US or euro brands as well

Figures. Could have guessed it is more the NZ arse-backward-as-fuck bike industry stuck in 1981 way of doing things.

[dipshit]

Honda won't let dealers have another Japanese francise share the showroom.

The way it looks from the outside - is that the importers and distributors are having too much influence over the retailers. They seem to be the ones running the show and keeping the status quo as if it is still 1980. Retailers seem to have little leeway oh how they can run their own shops. Someone in this very thread said "you don't want to piss your distributor off".

I wonder if a shop owner can even go take a dump without permission from the almighty distributor..??

Maybe the retail side need to grow some balls and start having a little more control over their own businesses.

[Headbanger]

Right. So why in NZ do even small towns have 3 or 4 bike shops?

Farmers.

You will also find each store probably have a crew who do nothing but visit farms and maintain the bikes/quads.

[dipshit]

Farmers.

Yes I realise that. But at the same time each of those 3 or 4 shops are small Dad and Dave outfits that seem to struggle along, can't afford to carry much stock, or be opened any longer than 9 to 5.

Amalgamating and concentrating that area's business into one bigger shop would be better for both the retailer and customers, yes?

A bit like... divided we fall, united we stand.

[scott411]

but NZ has the can do attitude and like to be self employed, i bet if you ask the owners if they would work for each other they would tell you to f off,

i can see your point, but i can see the point of the other side as well,

as for your comment about being back in the 80's, only the US seems to allow more than 2 franchises (i am unsure of japan) but aussie has one or two per dealerships, (although the chains own multiple shops with different brands in each) and europe is much like us,

the US market is so much larger than the rest of the world it makes its own rules,

[IdunBrokdItAgin]

but NZ has the can do attitude and like to be self employed, i bet if you ask the owners if they would work for each other they would tell you to f off,

i can see your point, but i can see the point of the other side as well,

as for your comment about being back in the 80's, only the US seems to allow more than 2 franchises (i am unsure of japan) but aussie has one or two per dealerships, (although the chains own multiple shops with different brands in each) and europe is much like us,

the US market is so much larger than the rest of the world it makes its own rules,

I know that some have said that this thread has dragged on a bit long but it contains quite a lot of stuff that I didn't know when I started it. Even though it has had its highs and lows it is still pretty interesting reading.

For example I wasn't aware that the bike manufacturers dictate which brands they will share the showroom floor with. That makes sense of why there are so many bike shops, which keeps coming up as a reason for low customer volumes (per bike shop).

Seems to me like the distributors are running the show and keeping the many shop owners small so they can exert their influence over them. I take back some of my earlier critisms of the retailers if this is the case. Selling bikes seems to hinder the shop owner from taking certain actions due to the distributor rules. Yes yes I know big brush/ tar and all that but this summation is good enough for me.

However, I still think adjusting shop hours makes sense - no one is asking for sunday opening though.

The bike brand rules also adds to the rationale of an accesories/ parts retailer not linked to bike brands (such as cycletreads or motomail - if I am correct on these shops not being linked to bike brands).

[scott411]

i think your right, as with most industries there are things that sit below the surface that are not known about,

i have taken a bit from this discussion,

[HenryDorsetCase]

AND its in the middle of town....

and the last time I was there, there was a freakin' NorVin parked out front. Well next door. Well along the road a bit outside the Brit bike store just down the road towards southern cross. You want old school? that place is old school!!! So, uh, yeah.....

Ive had home made margaritas so have no point really

[DJSin]

Ive had home made margaritas so have no point really

Sweeeeeeet

[jonbuoy]

Yes I realise that. But at the same time each of those 3 or 4 shops are small Dad and Dave outfits that seem to struggle along, can't afford to carry much stock, or be opened any longer than 9 to 5.

Amalgamating and concentrating that area's business into one bigger shop would be better for both the retailer and customers, yes?

A bit like... divided we fall, united we stand.

You mean a monopoly and less competition? Not usually a good thing for joe public. Did a bike mechanic sleep with your wife or something? You seem to spend a huge amount of time venting your swollen spleen at the NZ motorcycle industry - why not open up a shop and show them how its done instead of slagging the industry off as a whole.

[dipshit]

You mean a monopoly and less competition? Not usually a good thing for joe public.

I think with the internet and the shop in the next town down the road would be enough to keep competition. I don't think having one big decent bike shop in a town instead of 3 or 4 small pokey ones would create that problem.