Retail News

On a roll with a unique but proven sales approach

COLUMBUS, Ohio (BRAIN) — For Roll: Bicycle Company, a retailer with three stores and its own bike brand, it’s all about control.

Jeff Milbauer of Valley Bike and Ski.

At CABDA Midwest BRAIN talks to retailers about opportunities and concerns for the 2020 selling season.

Tagged CABDA
Dan Shuman has owned Salem Cycle since 2000.

SALEM, Mass. (BRAIN) — When Dan Shuman started working for owner Chris Finn as an apprentice at Marblehead Cycle in 1989, he was a sophomore in high school with no plans to make a career in bike retail. Circumstances dictated otherwise.

Jim Whitsett, left, and Alan Goldsmith pose 14 hours before Whitsett died.

MARINA del REY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Jim Whitsett, longtime industry member and former Supergo, Cynergy and Performance general manager, died Saturday from an apparent heart attack.

He was 56 and survived by his 10-year-old son Jesse and adult son Jason. Funeral arrangements are pending.

 Rocktown Bicycles manager Kelly Paduch going all out at Roller-Rama.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (BRAIN) — There are many ways to end up owning a bike shop. Ken Bell started Rocktown Bicycles in 2013 after a successful career as a video producer and owner of a trade show display company. "I'd always wanted to own a shop," Bell said. "Decades of racing definitely fueled my passion for it."

The oldest bike shop in San Francisco is for sale.

SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Of the many reasons shop owners decide to sell their businesses, seismic retrofit is not usually one of them. In San Francisco, Bradley Woehl is facing just that situation.

We ask about their off-season store projects.
A version of this feature appears in the January 2020 BRAIN.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Each month in Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, we ask a panel of retailers a new question, which we publish in the State of Retail feature in the magazine. Here's an introduction to our new panel for 2020.

Tagged State of Retail

SAN DIEGO (BRAIN) — Retailers and brands convened Wednesday at CABDA's season opener at San Diego's Del Mar Fairgrounds. As we did last year, we asked retailer attendees, "What brings you to CABDA?"

Tagged CABDA
Alan Goldsmith

LOS ANGELES (BRAIN) — Alan Goldsmith is returning to his roots.

Memorial ride planned for Jan. 26.
Police are continuing to investigate the murder of Clifton Cargill.

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (BRAIN) — With the death of a cyclist shot outside a bike shop still unsolved, the North Miami Beach Police Department has stepped up its investigation.

Why struggle? The BRAIN E-Bike Dealer Tour heads to LAX.

Editor's note: A version of this article ran in the November issue of BRAIN.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (BRAIN) — As far west as you can get, with nothing but sand between us and the Pacific, we headed to the last retailer visit on our three-day tour.

Tagged Electric bike / BRAIN News / From the Magazine / BRAIN Dealer Tour
Clifton Cargill was murdered in the parking lot of Bell's Bicycles.

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (BRAIN) — A cyclist who led group rides from a South Florida bike shop was murdered Sunday morning in the parking lot from where the rides started.

Spike Clayton.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (BRAIN) — Stephen "Spike" Haskew Clayton, the co-owner of Vermont's Skirack retail store, died Friday at 61 after a battle with gastric cancer.

Velofix will hire about 40 technicians in 2020.

AUSTIN, Texas (BRAIN) — Velofix has released what it said is its "first wave" of corporate-owned mobile bike shop, with vans operating in Austin and Houston, Texas; Tampa, Florida; San Jose, California.; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Velofix' Chris Guillemet.

DURANGO, Colo. (BRAIN) — Velofix CEO and president Chris Guillemet is the guest on the latest episode of Channel Mastery, the podcast co-produced by Verde Brand Communications and BRAIN.

Host Kristin Carpenter discuss today's omnichannel cycling consumer and the role of mobile bike shops.

Some view powersport dealers as a gateway to the transportation market.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (BRAIN) — Several e-bike brands are looking to powersport dealers as retail outlets, especially for electric mountain bikes, which are becoming a hit with off-road motorcycle racers.

Tagged Electric bike
Russ Cooper

WEBSTER, Texas (BRAIN) — George Russell "Russ" Cooper passed away Monday. Webster owned Webster Bicycle, which his family purchased in 1992.

Cooper raced BMX as a youngster and later led the Webster Bicycle MS 150 ride from Houston to Austin for many years. 

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Bicycle Retailer & Industry News is conducting two surveys right now as we try to learn more about the state of bicycle retailing. One survey you can take right now, and we hope you do. The other is by invitation, and we hope you say, "yes."

The Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association surveyed retailers this summer about their service department staffing, revenue, training and more.

New program is designed to help dealers become more profitable through affordable, one-on-one business analysis and coaching.

IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — The National Bicycle Dealers Association has developed a new program that's aimed at coaching shop owners on becoming more profitable. It is led by David DeKeyser, a retail consultant who formerly owned and operated the successful Bike Hub bicycle shop in DePere, Wisconsin.

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