BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Apidura is helping IBDs compete with online discount retailers through in-store services.
By providing a service that encourages customers to interact with their local store twice, the In-store Repairs Programme provides an opportunity for retailers to engage with existing and new customers, while simultaneously providing value through free repairs.
By promoting the programme through Apidura’s own platforms and via the stores themselves, it ensures that both existing and new customers (who might not have realised they live near a bike shop specialising in bikepacking) are reached and encouraged to interact with their local store. Packs returned for repair do not have to have been purchased from a participating store.
“Repairs are central to Apidura’s approach to sustainability – the longer a pack is kept in service, the lower its environmental impact – and customers can always send their packs direct to Apidura for repair,” said a statement. “Coordinating repairs via our partner stores allows us to consolidate many repairs into a single shipment, reducing the environmental impact of shipping the packs back and forth. Stores are also encouraged to share our repair guides and provided with collateral for social media posts that make it easy to pass on Apidura’s bikepacking expertise to their customers and position themselves as authorities on the subject.”
Condor Cycles in London have been involved in the In-store Repairs Programme from the start, being the pilot store and then returning for the subsequent two roll outs to date. A total of 18 partner stores have now taken part in the programme, with future rollouts expected to cover more countries and feature new stores alongside those that have already taken part.
“The Apidura In-Store Repair Programme was a great way for Condor to provide value to Apidura owners — some already Condor customers, some new customers,” said Sebastian Young, managing director at Condor Cycles. “It also gave us the opportunity to communicate that many repairs can be done at home, thanks to the wealth of information available from Apidura.
“The programme provided a new and different way to talk about Apidura, as well as emphasise that our store has one of the largest ranges of Apidura products in London.”
Alongside helping IBDs differentiate and provide value that online discount retailers cannot match, Apidura said it hopes the In-store Repairs Programme will encourage conversation around repairs and sustainability that are long overdue in the bike industry.
Tori Fahey, co-founder of Apidura, said: “We know retailers are looking for new ways to engage with customers and find unexpected opportunities to create value and believe the In-store Repairs Programme is an excellent way to do just that.
“It’s a win-win for us as customers learn more about self-sufficiency and repairing their bikepacking gear and our retail partners benefit from increased exposure to customers.”
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