LBS reasonable markup - Page 2 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

06-11-2004, 09:44 AM

Retail more or less doubles the price, which they need to succeed by the
way. You walk in and expect them to stock what you need, but a lot of
stuff nobody walks in for.

On the other hand most retail businesses fail, so they have to guess
right what there's a need and a market for.

I abandoned LBSs not for the price so much as that they stopped
carrying a decent inventory.
--
Ron Hardin
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

06-11-2004, 09:48 AM

Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.

Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is highway
robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source and buy
several pair.

> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike shop.
> Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
> sell it to me for $21.

Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common item?
And how do they justify such a huge markup?

Art Harris

06-11-2004, 09:48 AM

Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.

Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is highway
robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source and buy
several pair.

> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike shop.
> Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
> sell it to me for $21.

Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common item?
And how do they justify such a huge markup?

Art Harris

06-11-2004, 09:48 AM

Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.

Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is highway
robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source and buy
several pair.

> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike shop.
> Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
> sell it to me for $21.

Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common item?
And how do they justify such a huge markup?

Art Harris

06-11-2004, 09:48 AM

Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.

Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is highway
robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source and buy
several pair.

> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike shop.
> Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
> sell it to me for $21.

Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common item?
And how do they justify such a huge markup?

Art Harris

06-11-2004, 09:48 AM

Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.

Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is highway
robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source and buy
several pair.

> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike shop.
> Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
> sell it to me for $21.

Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common item?
And how do they justify such a huge markup?

Art Harris

06-11-2004, 10:55 AM

Harris wrote:

> Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
>> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
>> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
>> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
>> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
>> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.
>
> Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
> years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is
> highway robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source
> and buy several pair.
>
>> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike
>> shop. Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
>> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
>> sell it to me for $21.
>
> Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common
> item? And how do they justify such a huge markup?

I have a couple of extra pair somewhere that came with shoes. Maybe I should
put them on eBay, with a healthy reserve!

Matt O.

06-11-2004, 10:55 AM

Harris wrote:

> Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
>> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
>> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
>> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
>> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
>> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.
>
> Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
> years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is
> highway robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source
> and buy several pair.
>
>> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike
>> shop. Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
>> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
>> sell it to me for $21.
>
> Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common
> item? And how do they justify such a huge markup?

I have a couple of extra pair somewhere that came with shoes. Maybe I should
put them on eBay, with a healthy reserve!

Matt O.

06-11-2004, 10:55 AM

Harris wrote:

> Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
>> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
>> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
>> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
>> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
>> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.
>
> Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
> years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is
> highway robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source
> and buy several pair.
>
>> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike
>> shop. Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
>> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
>> sell it to me for $21.
>
> Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common
> item? And how do they justify such a huge markup?

I have a couple of extra pair somewhere that came with shoes. Maybe I should
put them on eBay, with a healthy reserve!

Matt O.

06-11-2004, 10:55 AM

Harris wrote:

> Keith Vetter <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>> Last year I needed some Look-type bike cleats. I went to a
>> bike shop, and, while they didn't have any in stock, the owner
>> just happened to be on the phone to the supplier and he added it
>> to their order. When they came in, the store wanted $27 for
>> them--that seemed expensive but not knowing better and
>> since they were ordered explicitly for me, I bought them.
>
> Wow! I almost choked when a local shop wanted $16 for them a couple of
> years ago. Then I found out all the shops charged that. But $27 is
> highway robbery for two pieces of plastic. Find a good online source
> and buy several pair.
>
>> Last month, I needed another pair and I went to a different bike
>> shop. Again they didn't have them in stock, but they looked it up in
>> the catalog. The catalog price was $13 and they said they could
>> sell it to me for $21.
>
> Yikes! First, why is it that these shops don't carry such a common
> item? And how do they justify such a huge markup?

I have a couple of extra pair somewhere that came with shoes. Maybe I should
put them on eBay, with a healthy reserve!

Matt O.