Ryan Atkinson has continued his travels and brings us the latest in how brands, suppliers, and merchants in bicycle retail are feeling during some uncertain times. There are bright spots and some optimism, particularly among retailers. 

Themes from industry events

1. Bicycle Leadership Conference (suppliers)
2. NBDA Retailer Summit (both) - join the Midwest event in Bentonville in May
3. CABDA West (both)

• Uncertainty among suppliers, optimism with dealers
• Tariff confusion and frustration
• Throttle electric bikes
• Used and pre-owned
• Tap into health/beauty, active lifestyle, prioritize health
• Profitability
• Ecommerce

March online sales performance

• US sales +9% and orders +7%
• CA sales -18% and orders -32% (sporting goods generally -6.9%)
• Dollar growth was fueled by road and mountain bikes, plus the surprise performance of comfort and commuter bikes. Electric bikes had a surprising slump.
• CA non-essential discretionary down, calls from concerned clients
• US consumers getting ahead of tariffs

Cyclingnews article on DeMinimis (Ryan’s rant)

• Bummed how they characterized Bob Margevicius’ testimony
• Bob is a VP for Specialized
• He’s an exceptional representative for our industry on trade issues
• Nobody knows EU, Asian, and US manufacturing/trade as well
• Tireless contributor and just awarded PFB lifetime achievement award
• Author conflated legitimate tariff frustration with DeMinimis
• DeMinimus exemption increased to $800 in 2016
• PFB has lobbied for change since
• Reason for so much cheap product disrupting IBD market
• Cheap D2C electric bikes, cheap helmets and lights on Temu, etc
• Unsafe for consumers, erodes value proposition for retailers, takes away high margin retail sales
• I want to encourage listeners not to spread click bait rumors just because they think the headline gets attention

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of conducting successful promotions, a pivotal segment in our ongoing year-long marketing program aimed at empowering businesses. We focus on strategies that not only help retailers remain competitive but also enhance customer engagement, particularly as we approach the prime spring sale season. Our discussion emphasizes that promotions extend beyond discounts; they can also include introducing new products or spotlighting significant changes within a business.

https://blog.workstand.com/successful-sales

We start by laying a strong foundation: your website serves as the digital storefront that consumers first interact with. We stress the importance of ensuring your website is user-friendly and accurately reflects any promotional efforts you undertake. This includes maintaining consistency between online pricing and in-store prices to avoid alienating customers. Customers today are well-informed and intermediaries like your website often form their first impression, so we highlight the necessity of making it easy for them to find information and navigate through promotional content.

Emphasizing the logistics of running a promotion, we tackle essential operational aspects such as point-of-sale (POS) system synchronization, which ensures consistency across platforms. Details like enabling shopping cart functionality for in-store pick-ups and offering financing options through partners like Klarna and PayPal allow businesses to provide a seamless shopping experience that can significantly impact conversions.

As we transition from logistics to aesthetics, we explain the need for a compelling homepage hero image that reflects the current promotion—a focal point to capture attention upon entry to the website. We reminisce about the importance of keeping content relevant and up-to-date, ensuring that promotional messaging resonates with seasonal themes. 

When it comes to actual outreach, we prioritize email as one of the most cost-effective methods to notify customers of promotions. Social media plays a complementary role, providing a platform for sharing specific products, staff picks, and engaging visuals that build excitement. We also cover paid advertising strategies, including Google Shopping ads and the use of YouTube ads, which can be powerful tools to reach wider audiences and drive targeted traffic during promotional periods.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Ryan is back with us after some travel, but he's not done yet! There are a few more trade shows and industry gatherings on the horizon, and he'll be presenting at most of them. We talk about those shows and the state of the bicycle industry, and the vibe and attitude of the dealers Ryan is meeting at shows like CABDA.

• CABDA Midwest
  • Split, dealers looking to diversity with ecommerce growth
  • Dealers looking for foot traffic
  • Universal interest in Google advertising
  • Lot of POS conversations
  • Lot of praise for our customer service team 
• Seminars for CABDA and with suppliers like Specialized, QBP, and J&B
• CABDA West
  • Day early for the NBDA retailer summit
  • Heather and her team host important conversations
  • 2 days of CABDA connecting with largely western dealers
  • Vibe from Chicago was optimistic
  • Hoping for the same thing
• Bicycle Leadership Conference next week
  • PeopleForBikes
  • Senior management from suppliers
  • Weighty topics like finance, forecasting, and government policy
  • Sustainability, ridership, and health benefits of cycling
  • On a panel discussion reviewing 2024 data and looking ahead
  • Real discussions will happen off the stage
  • Expect to learn a lot about sentiment and expectations
• Online sales
  • Last year online sales on Workstand outpaced the overall IBD space
  • 2025 is off to a good start
  • Up 7% through the end of February
  • Largely driven by twice as many electric bikes sold online YTD
  • Site traffic is -12% suggesting a drop in shopping activity
  • Electric bikes are driving up average order size and revenue per session
  • Make sure you’re actively marketing your electric bikes online
  • Consumers are buying
• Optimism for the spring
  • Overall economy and consumers are uncertain
  • Bike shops on the whole are running business lean
  • Gotta keep energy levels up to keep staff motivated
  • Be ready to be busy
  • Do the work to get busy
  • Ramp up marketing to get foot traffic and try to get some momentum
  • Lean into the categories that are moving
    • Electric bikes
      • Class 2
      • Class 3 road and mountain
    • Aluminum drop bar bikes
  • Market your service department starting now

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

We continue our series on marketing your business for sales growth in-store and online in 2025 with tips on website and marketing setups that make shopping your online store easier and reduce purchase friction,

For more details, check out our latest blog post - https://blog.workstand.com/make-shopping-easy

• Design - minimal clutter, accessibility 
• Make it easy for shoppers to find what they are looking for
  • Search function
  • Navigation - minimal clicks, don’t bury the shop button, organization
  • Distinct calls to action - send shoppers to intuitive links where they can purchase the item your suggesting
  • Single page checkout - new enhancement 
• Follow up and post purchase communications
  • The purchase journey does not end when they complete their purchase on your website - think of this as just the first step in their next purchase with you
  • Communicate clear fulfillment expectations
• Leverage your website to keep them coming back
  • Keep fresh content up so return visitors see something new
  • WorkstandIQ Loyalty - automated, transactional emails

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Around the Workstand Daily - we are often asked about training and our How To videos are the most viewed videos we produce so Around the Workstand Daily hopes to address frequent, short, videos to help our clients learn important features and do so more efficiently than the production work that goes into a more planned video. So, they won’t be perfect sometimes but they’ll help those who would rather watch a video than read a help center article. Here's our Around the Workstand Daily playlist on YouTube.

Ryan and Brian are at CABDA - visit them at booth #815

What’s working best for Workstand retailers? 

• Google ads
• Supplier sync and direct fulfillment
• Premium themes - great way to set yourself apart and create a consistent style for your website and marketing

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Today is the first episode of a series for 2025 focused on helping bicycle shops effectively market and grow their businesses. We’ve always talked about marketing on the show however, we saw in 2024 that merchants who proactively promoted their businesses, the ones who engaged with the tools available to make their stores more visible to shoppers, those stores had impressive wins while business owners who took a passive or underresourced approach lost ground and saw shrinking sales year over year. As the head of our Google Ads Team, Matt Viara says, “Engagement = Growth” and that was certainly true in 2024 and will continue to apply in 2025 and beyond. We iterated Engagement = Growth during this episode and came up with E=G3 (that's G cubed) because there is leverage in engagement and it is significant.

Let’s move on to the first of eleven Around the Workstand episodes this year focusing on a specific action area. For February it’s Win Google Search.

Welcome Around the Workstand!

Blog post for reference 

1. Website, website, website
   1. Maintenance
   2. Localize your content
   3. Page titles/meta descriptions
2. Control how you show up - Google Business Profile (GBP)
3. Leverage free shopping listings 
4. Compete for the best placement with Google ads
   1. Search - great for awareness
   2. Shopping - connect with ready-to-buy customers
      1. Regional or National is possible for a few
         1. Cash flow was the focus
         2. Free shipping - start at $100, can always lower the threshold 
         3. Retailers were special buying and discounting
      2. Local
         1. Where the majority of bike shops see great ROAS
         2. Big plus: shipping, discounts, advanced processes not required
      3. Attribution 
         1. Making shoppers aware is the goal 
         2. We meet people where they are, people buy lots of ways
      4. Budget - the most general level
         1. $20 a day - advertise bikes - the bigger footprint you want the more budget required for success
            1. Geo depends on your area
            2. $500/mo
         2. Local ads - $125/mo + 10% of ad spend 
            1. Monthly call, unlimited email, no contracts 
      5. Specificity - granularity thwarts success

Engaged = growth or E=G3

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Wow, 2024 went by in the blink of an eye, faster than a Di2 shift, how was your year? Ryan, Suzie, and Mark take a look back at our bicycle industry sales results for the year, broader economic conditions that contributed, and where the winners made a difference. Then, a look at the trends heading into 2025 and what we can all expect for bicycle and aftermarket sales. Marketing and, specifically, Google ads, will play a big role for those aiming to grow sales and expand their footprint in 2025. Owning a successful bike shop isn't for the faint of heart but we've got insights, tips, and actionable suggestions to help.

• 2024 market recap
  • Roller coaster year at retail, with unpredictable demand/sales
  • PeopleForBikes says IBD -9% through October
  • S&P Global
    • 2024 - We anticipate a nearly 7% decline in total bicycle unit sales by the end of the year, with an expected total of around 12 million units
• 2024 on Workstand
  • Workstand platform +4% through Oct (mirror PFB)
    • Finished year positive 5%
    • Results driven by high performers in aftermarket and bike sales
    • Over half of bikes sold at discount, discounts averaged -27%
    • Consumers bought nicer bikes so ASP up 14%
  • Unfortunately, the typical dealer on Workstand down 11% for the year
    • Results dropped off in the second half of the year
    • Holiday shopping season especially poor
    • Need to find a way to get more dealers marketing
    • Clear division between those advertising on Google and not
• 2025 expectations
  • Cautiously optimistic for our clients as a whole
    • High expectations for top retailers
    • 17 dealers sold over $1M online last year (top nearly $7M)
    • 150 dealers solve over $100k
    • We can make a big difference in growth 
    • Uncertain aftermarket
    • Service will continue modest gains of about 2%
• What can a dealer do if they want to be a top performer in 2025
  • Identify categories that will generate growth
    • Ex: mid-priced aluminum road, class 2 electric lifestyle bikes, class 3 electric road
    • Build a stocking strategy accordingly
    • Market to stimulate further demand
  • Focus on local market share through Google search and local shopping
  • Lean heavily on selling bikes online locally

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

We’ll be taking some time away from the podcast during December so this will be our final 2024 episode. We thought we’d recap some of the accomplishments of 2024 and look forward to 2025. Around the Workstand will resume in January 2025 and we’re looking forward to another year of sharing tips and actionable information with you all.

Around the Workstand grew a lot in 2024 so thank you to everyone who watched and listened. It means so much to me, Suzie, and Ryan that you found some value and entertainment in the show.

New and/or returning Supplier Sync partners for 2024

• Santa Cruz
• Ibis
• Otso
• Gazelle - going live today!

POS enhancements

• Work order management
• SMS messaging 

Ecommerce enhancements 

• Variation tiles on Product Detail Pages
• New checkout being rolled out in phases
• Many other infrastructure enhancements

Most popular Around the Workstand episodes in 2024

Industry updates with Ryan were consistently the most viewed (video) and downloaded (audio) episodes

They were followed closely by episodes where we talked about our new POS features and by episodes where we gave actionable tips for growing sales

We’ll bring back Tech Tips in 2025 - we aren’t really sure why we stopped doing those but there were popular.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Tips for how AI can help in retail - what other ways are you using AI?

• Great brainstorming partner 
  • Start with clear goals 
  • Ask for specific results
• Use to break a big project or some event planning into easy action items
• AI tools within other applications are an easy way to begin to experiment - Apple Intelligence, email apps, text apps, etc, Grammarly

Warnings and pitfalls merchants should be aware of

• Images of people and bicycles are hard for AI
  • Avoid the uncanny valley:/ - it’s close but not really
• Don’t forget to edit - inject your personality and unique voice
  • Remember that if you can prompt an AI to create something that you use to represent you or your business, anyone else can do that. 
• Don’t let the machine run unchecked, unintended consequences abound.

Here is the experiment Suzie did so you can try it yourself. Let us know how it goes!

Prompt: What are good dos and don'ts for small businesses interested in leveraging AI for help with marketing? 

Using AI for marketing can be a game-changer for small businesses, offering tools to boost personalization, streamline operations, and make data-driven decisions. Here are some do’s and don’ts to guide you in implementing AI effectively.

Do’s

1. Do Start with Clear Goals
2. Do Use AI to Enhance Personalization
3. Do Focus on High-Impact Channels First
4. Do Leverage Customer Data Responsibly
5. Do Experiment with Predictive Analytics
6. Do Train Your Team

Don’ts

1. Don’t Automate Everything
2. Don’t Rely Solely on AI for Content Creation
3. Don’t Ignore Data Privacy Regulations
4. Don’t Expect Immediate Results
5. Don’t Neglect Testing
6. Don’t Overlook Costs

Bonus: Tools to Explore

• Email and Social Media Automation

By following these tips, your small business can harness AI’s potential effectively without sacrificing the authenticity and trust you’ve built with your customers.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

It's hard to believe we are nearing the end of October 2024, but it's true. If you've looked at your inbox, gone to your mailbox, or watched any TV, you will have noticed that holiday marketing is in full effect. If closing out 2024 sales well is on your to-do list, now is the time to start implementing holiday marketing for your bicycle shop. We have resources, we have support, and Suzie and Mark are here to help.

Google ads as part of a local selling strategy

• Free shopping listings
• Shopping ads 
• Granularity dos and don’ts
• YouTube ads 
  • Great way to get in front of a captive audience
    • Mandatory 5 sec 
    • paying pennies per view 
    • DIY is working
• Tips for getting help managing ads

Holiday marketing on a budget

• Website content
• Leveraging your existing evergreen content
• Put your suppliers to work 
• Drive traffic 
• Ads 
• Last year’s episode with Lauren Webb for Holiday Marketing
• Industry trends episode from early October with Ryan Atkinson

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

September ecommerce metrics show consumers shopping but the typical bike shop not seeing the results online.

• Site traffic remains strong at +7%
• Google search volume for “bike shop” comparable to last year
• Total ecommerce sales +7%
• Typical dealer ecommerce sales -11% (leading indicator for industry)
• 1,800 fewer click & collect orders than August = less retail traffic

PeopleForBikes Webinar

• Nerd Collective
• Stock to Sales ratio (retail and supplier)
• Discounting

The Pro’s Closet will close in October

Employees and clients impacted by Hurricane Helene - buy DeFeet socks

• 3 employees

How to Thrive this Holiday Season - webinar with NBDA 

• Thursday 11 am MTN 
• Focus on ways to create more selling opportunities this season
• Marketing is a numbers game - the more you get in front of potential shoppers, the more selling opportunities you’ll have
• Digital marketing + Google 
• Efficiency and effectiveness will be a priority

Keep up with website and POS features new releases

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Gearing up for our season

• Fall is when shops start working “on” the business, not “in” the business
• For 25 years, without fail, our phone rings off the hook in the fall
• Gonna have a lot to talk about this year
• Always talking about websites, ecommerce, and Google search
• Point of sale is the center of a lot of our conversations
• BRAIN: 35% of shops are considering a change in POS in the next 12 months

We delivered for shops this summer

• Early adopters used all season
• Reviews have been great
  • Simple. Modern. Easy to use.
• Has the exact features most shops use
• Clients have great ideas that will make it even better
• Advantage of working with a smaller company like us
• We listen to our customers

Why we are the best choice

• Everything you need to streamline your bike shop
• 25 years of experience helping bike shops modernize
• Trusted by the entire bike industry
• Friendly and knowledgeable service by people that know the business of bikes
• No debate. We have the best data.
• Feature to feature we are very competitive
• Easy for everyone in the shop to use

What we have

• Everything you need to help a customer at the register
• Work orders to help you run a professional service department
• Better inventory management that companies like Square or Clover
• SMS text messaging built in
• Hands down the best supplier data integrated throughout the software
• Customer service you can count on

What to do if you want to learn more 

• Keep it simple
• Call us or request a demo
• No pressure. Want you to be informed.
• If you choose to sign up
  • Get you up and running fast with easy onboarding
  • A member of our team will be with you at every step

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Ryan has a cool trip planned with friends on the Aquarius Trail hut to hut next week. 6 days in Southwest Utah with Nebraska friends and no logistics work required.

June retail sales PeopleforBikes

• Bright spot is inventory stabilizing across the channel
  • I’m joining a PeopleForBikes webinar later this month to discuss
• June is typically the high point for sales, but this year the month was very soft. 
• Bike shops were -11% in total sales dollars for the month
  • Bicycle sales -13% and unit sales were -17%
  • Higher unit prices and shift toward more expensive electric bikes
• Bike prices are still falling, but not at the same rate as unit sales. 
  • 29” wheel mountain and most road categories are showing some of the best price stability - likely a reflection of returning category health and new product releases. 
• Bicycle repairs are an essential revenue source for shops. June saw the highest YOY increase in bike shop service/repair dollars since 2020, but that’s paired with the lowest number of service orders in eight years. 
• While service departments are bringing in increased revenue, there’s a bit of caution mixed in as fewer bikes are likely being worked on. 
• Chart in the email tells a clear story on long term trends. Dealers need to join PeopleForBikes and start getting these monthly market reports.

August ecommerce results from Workstand

• Very good August for some (+11% compared to -2% in July)
• Better than July for most (-9% compared to -17% in July)
• Site traffic up all year, August best at +13%
• Trend continues - Order volume down and average order up
• Store pickup May-August 32,000 orders (lot of store traffic)

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

We often get wrapped up in the day-to-day, putting out fires type activities, and we don’t want this to sound preachy but, cycling competes with other consumer goods for attention and dollars so bike shops that don’t stay top of mind with the shoppers who have already done business with them are at a disadvantage but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Sometimes I’m sure we all wish it weren’t this way, there is a lot of communication but people who make meaningful purchases receive communication from the stores they shop with. So today’s question is, are you communicating with your key customers in the way Home Depot, Best Buy, and Nordstroms are?

Importance of regular outreach - not just during major promotional periods. 

Busy season or not, consistent outreach yields better results than only communicating when you want to sell something.

How?

Social - use an 80/20 or 90/10 rule - 90% engaging, interesting, community info - 10% promotional

Physical events - be at the places your customers are just to be there

Transactional emails - reach out based on the products and services your customers purchased from you - want to try our WorkstandIQ Loyalty program? Mention this episode and get 6 months free! 

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Suzie is under the weather this week so Ryan and Mark take on recent issues affecting the retail bicycle landscape. We hope you feel better soon, Suzie!

Law firm focused on electric bike injuries

Electric Bike Library Content - included in all Workstand website subscriptions

Premium Electric Bike Content - included in our Marketing Subscription, available to all Workstand website clients for $400 per campaign.

Learn about People for Bikes

https://www.peopleforbikes.org/

NBDA Retailer & Supplier Best Practices panel discussions are worth checking out!

We are gathering data on bike shops to understand the market. We want to know for sure how many bike shops are operating.

Greed - why have some suppliers and retailers characterized themselves as greedy during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ryan’s LinkedIn post of a BBC report from 1997

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Tips for making your website your own. The closer your website aligns with your in-store presentation, the better. Shoppers generally meet your website before they visit the store so take an honest look at your site and answer the following question - is your website what you want to present to potential customers? Is it what you wouldn’t say to them if they were in your store? 

• Working with the included templates and theme editor
  • There are 7 templates to start with
  • Add your logo and set your brand colors
  • Local photos - you do not need a professional photographer
  • Local content - where to ride, staff, history, unique value proposition
  • Our Help Center has great tips and instruction and our Client Success Team can guide and train you in making updates
• Premium Themes - here’s something new we’ve come up with
  • Based on our popular Premium Content Packages
  • Semi-custom themes for a reasonable investment of $1,499 and can be completed in a week or less
  • Many to choose from with additional designs added each quarter
• Full Custom Design - as unique as your business
  • Design and content planning
  • Let your imagination run wild - take inspiration from other industries, websites, print, nature, anything
  • Project costs start around $3,000 and generally land between $4,000 - $8,000 (can be higher) and typically take 6 -8 weeks to complete

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Welcome Around the Workstand!

Summit - we met as a team recently

• Big characters. Great culture.
• Aligned behind our purpose
• Awesome leadership team

Industry talk

• Trek D2C announcement
  • Expected evolution
  • Seems to be a relatively well thought out program
  • Unknown impact
  • Playbook - Have a great digital strategy
    • More important than ever
    • We’ve got you covered on technology and marketing
• June online results
  • Platform flat overall
    • Driven by Google advertisers and bike sales
  • Typical dealer down 8%
  • Site visits see continued growth over 2023 but slowing
  • Order volume remains down 13%
  • Offset by - Average order value up 16% compared to 2023
  • As expected strongest click and collect performance
    • 41% of orders
    • Roughly at 2019 levels
    • Down from COVID highs of 60%
    • Sign that the typical dealers are getting store traffic from orders
• Collision conference in CO
  • AI was everywhere
  • Clearly going to be impactful on business
  • Zero click search one of first areas of impact

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

As a fully remote company, Workstand teams try to get together in person once or twice yearly. This week is one of those times and our Client Services Team - Client Success, Catalog, and Business Development - will be meeting in Boulder, CO. We may be a little slower to respond than usual but it's for a good cause. Weeks such as these are always full of learning moments and great information that we take back to the clients we serve so we thank you for being patient during any inconvenience while we work to improve the services we provide.

Here's what Suzie and Mark talk about in today's episode.

Data dive - we gave you these stats, but what does that mean for you? 
-Google search trends
-Strong electric bike sales
Some report sales down - some report sales up
What’s working?
-Good website management 
-Email Marketing
-Google Ads

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

In this engaging episode, we dive into various topics from celebrating Pride Month to insights from the NBDA Retailer Summit. The conversation starts with a lively discussion about attending a drag show during Pride Month and the experience of embracing gender expression. The focus then shifts to the NBDA Retailer Summit, highlighting the successful collaboration between suppliers and retailers, with a key emphasis on financial competency and the importance of selling online.

NBDA Retailer Summit
Great support from suppliers, almost half of the attendees
Retailers of all sizes
Longtime supporters, plenty of fresh faces
About half of the presentations were from retailers
Learning from each other
Themes; understanding finances and selling online (all in D2C business)
My presentation on how suppliers think about retailers in the digital space
Standing room only
Good questions
A couple of dealers want to sign up based on the information

May platform results
Order volume across the Workstand platform was -14% for the month, the slowest performance of an already soft spring selling season.
Online bike sales however drove up average order value, resulting in total platform sales being +2%.
Sessions and pageviews continue their strong performance, indicating that consumers are shopping. Our traffic data aligns with Google search volume which has been reliably high this spring and steadily rose during May. 
A bright spot for the month is the typical retailer having their best month of the year, being only -2% for the month compared to -7% in April. Still lagging behind the top performers. 

Electric bikes online
I mentioned online bike sales earlier. It’s worth calling attention to electric bikes. 
Year-over-year online unit sales growth for e-bikes in April/May 2024 is strong at 60% relative to 2023. Electric bike buyers seem to be very comfortable buying their bikes online. 
We have total industry sales results from PeopleForBikes from Q1. While only about 2% of e-bikes sold by bike shops in Q1 2024 were sold online, the annual growth rate of 45% indicates it is outpacing total IBD electric bike sales - reinforcing that same point about consumers buying these bikes online. 

Lauren on the NBDA podcast
Lauren did a great job speaking to why the work of helping bike shops means so much to her and how that informs the work her department does.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

During the episode where we tried to answer some common questions in a straightforward manner, one of those questions concerned the idea of what makes a good website homepage. We’ve been thinking about that since the episode and today, we want to help boil that answer down to a base level so that everyone can have the tools to identify good content.

This goes for websites, emails, and all sorts of marketing and communications really but the primary question to ask is ‘Am I answering a question or solving a problem?’

We often talk about how all shopping today starts with search. You want a thing or need a service so you search for that thing or service. SEO best practices suggest the content on your website will perform the best when/if it provides good results for those search queries - in other words, do you have those things on your website, do you offer those services? If the answer is yes, do those things exist in such a way as to be obvious and accessible to the searcher?

If someone walked into your store and did a quick scan or lap, would they see the same things on your homepage?
 
Your website is an extension of your brick-and-mortar business - it should look like it 

Make it easy for the searcher to find and consume the content and you make it easy for a search engine to recommend your website over and over again.

You might be asking yourself, does that mean that every single image or piece of content have to answer questions in this way? What about my blog? What about my Tuesday night worlds recap? What about the 1,000-word how-to article about rebuilding 8-speed Campy shifters? Just think about the utility of your content to the people you’d most likely hope to have in your store. Irrelevant content does nothing to help and can even hurt as a search engine will see that nobody uses it or worse, finds it and bounces away quickly.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Look back at April data and help share some actionable items for helping retailers capture more business 

• Ryan was back in Colorado last week and saw a lot of our team based out of there. We did a pinball happy hour on Thursday, a gravel ride on Friday, and went to the Supercross race in Denver on Saturday. 
• We are stoked about the big software enhancement we released last week. The product detail pages now have a super modern visual interface for customers to select size and color variations. The shopping experience is comparable to REI. We expect to see an increase in add to cart rates just in time for summer website traffic. 
• Looking at the bike industry, most retailers and suppliers are putting a lot of weight on the market performance in May. The spring was pretty erratic and we’re looking for stability entering the summer.
• Promising indicators coming out of April.
• Google search volume for bike shops has been steadily growing on an expected seasonal trend after a slowdown in March.
• Google search volume for “best bike” was at the highest level in the last 18 months in the first week in May. This is great news about consumer demand but it’s also noteworthy that volume for this term is outpacing “bike shop”. This consumer shift to online shopping is continuing - it isn’t going to retreat after COVID. The long term trend is holding, growing about 1% share of total retail sales every year. 
• April website traffic for bike shops using Workstand was up 9% over March and up 11% compared to last year.
• Average Order Value online in April was up 12.5% compared to last year as more consumers are buying bikes online.
• Paying attention to headlines about supplier financial health. Obviously Trek’s cutbacks earlier this year were eye opening but I trust that their leadership team is more than capable of managing through the situation. The news about Kona was more troubling because the company is up for sale. Kona is an important brand for our customers and I’m hoping that the right buyer comes in and stabilizes the company.

What’s coming up next 

• NBDA webinar with Suzie and Ryan this Friday
• Ryan attending the NBDA Retailer Summit next week
• Client Success Summit in June 

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

There are many things in life where clear-cut answers are difficult to come by. Websites and marketing certainly fall into this category. Do you ever wish someone would just tell you the answers? We will.

Today, based on our own experience - even if you only consider us, Suzie and Mark, that is a combined 20 years here at Workstand working with bicycle retailers all over North America - and with as little bias as we can muster, we’ll just tell you the answers to some common yet confusing questions we often hear.

Direct and simple, ready?

The one we hear the most often - SEO - how can I do better in search?

I’m a local business, why should I sell online? I want people to come to my store and I don’t want to encourage them to shop online.

Why should I pay for ads? Why should I pay Workstand to run my ads?

Does my homepage look good? Is my homepage effective? We don’t hear these questions often enough. 🙂 Request your Complimentary Website Review by the Workstand Client Success Team

Can you help my website perform better without adding additional costs?

The admin navigation has moved since we published this video on how to streamline communications but the info is still valuable and relevant. Use the admin site search to find things that may have moved around.

What am I paying Workstand for in my subscription? I don’t use all the features in my subscription/what could I be taking advantage of more effectively?

Puppies or kittens? Well both, of course.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

Ryan joins Suzie and Mark for our monthly industry update. This time around, it's also a quarterly update and we look at results and trends thus far in 2024. Ryan tells us about the Bicycle Leadership Conference (BLC) he recently attended and where his travels will take him in the coming months on behalf of all at Workstand.

BLC
300 bicycle industry leaders in attendance 
Pragmatic about inventory and optimistic outlook 
Inventory situation, talking heads too critical of bike suppliers
Strong consumer sales paired with dealer Just In Time (JIT) orders means wholesale velocity is picking up
Electric bike maturing, growth in transportation
Data presentation
Outstanding service award - Ryan accepts an award on behalf of Workstand! Yay us.

Q1
Ecommerce growth +10% across our platform, February strongest at approximately 22% YoY
Order volume off, with Average Order Volume up double digits
Bike discounts driving sales, especially from Specialized (big traffic increase)
Overall traffic is up every month in Q1
Top performers still driving, typical dealer -3% for the quarter

Google Search Index
General consumer interest in bikes steady with last year
Specifically “bike shop” is a bit softer YTD
That has been the general trend, but learn more as the season develops when “bike shop” volume increases
All search volume has been spiking dramatically on March weekend
It's important to win search, must have products online as consumers shift away from channel-specific search
Electric bike search volume outperforming general terms

More travel for Ryan and team
Our team at Sea Otter meeting with suppliers - look for Matt Lolli and Chris Gardner from our Supplier Team
Speaking at NBDA retailer summit in May
Collision Technology Summit in June

Questions this week:
Q: When will the Workstand POS be able to replace Lightspeed?
That’s not our goal but ...
For many retailers it can today, even if some of the features are lean we are enhancing them rapidly
Perfect fit for our initial target market, merchants with a more outdated POS

Q: Do I have to pay for Google Ads to show up in local search results?
No. Your product pages and location pages in particular are optimized for organic and if you maintain your website properly then the content you create should perform well.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

We talk a lot about marketing and selling by way of great websites, Google Ads, email marketing, and more but this week is different. This week we want to point out that stores shouldn't hard sell all the time. One of the best things a store can do to build long-term value within their community is to meet consumers where they are and help them find value in bikes, riding, and being a part of a healthy and fun-oriented community. That means that in addition to catalog-enabled, commerce-focused websites, merchants should be offering content aimed at helping riders get the most out of their bikes and the bike riding community. Workstand offers so much to help with that! Library pages, brand-supported landing pages, Premium Content Packages, and easy tools to build whatever type of page content is needed. Winning search starts with providing content your customers (and prospective customers) find valuable. Sales follow.

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...

The band is back together! Ryan is back and will join us each month to share key takeaways from current inventory data,  talk about big-picture topics in our industry, and answer your questions.

Higher total sales amounts (by the dollar) in 2023 but lower total unit sales

• The most recent report from PeopleForBikes provided some summary information about 2023. Last year’s market value was nearly $1 billion over pre-pandemic markets. A lot of people rightly point to the dollar growth coming from a higher average selling price, meaning dollar growth is outpacing units. 
• 4% decrease compared to 2022 but a 7% increase over 2019
•  Electric bikes now make up 20% of total bike sales.

What’s happening now?

• Look at more recent data, we're paying careful attention to the December through February data. Important key metrics have turned the corner across the network. 
• Total online sales are up about 11% and site traffic is up about 10%. 
• Most of 2023 was down relative to the prior 12 months but that trajectory is changing.

What are the areas of growth in our industry? What’s doing well?

• A lot of the growth we're seeing is coming from bikes - largely electric, 29" mountain, and sport/performance road. 
• Heavy discounts in those categories is achieving the intended result of increasing total dollar sales volume.
• Interestingly, discounts in sport/performance road are actually driving up the ASP for bikes in the category. 

But who’s doing well?

• While the largest dealers continue to drive most of our sales volume, in February we saw the first significant uptick for the small and medium sized retailers. 

Crystal ball time - how is 2024 looking? Can we make any predictions? 

• Sizing up the IBD channel right now suggests that 2024 is going to be a tough year. Google Search Data, ridership data, and the sales of consumables like chains and nutrition indicate that people are interested in and riding bikes. 
• Retailers on the whole are running their businesses pragmatically and relying on just in time ordering to stay flexible. 

Okay, you’ve taken us through a number of ups and downs…how can retailers take action to make a positive impact on their sales? 

• My one piece of advice to our customers is to stay very active with your marketing. 

Be sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.

If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.

Find Us on LinkedIn
Ryan Atkinson, President + Co-Owner
Suzie Livingston, Marketing + Communications
Mark Still, Business Development

We also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.

If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...