“We routinely bought big numbers from Kestrel,” said Linneman. “We’ve been one of Kestrel’s biggest dealers in the country for years. But our purchases from them are down by about two-thirds, because we show loyalty to those who show it back to us. Therefore, our sales of Cervelo and Felt have doubled in the same period of time. Now, Kestrel’s salesmen appear to understand they made a mistake in Chicago. They’re working to rebuild the relationship with us, and we’ll honor that. We’ll see how it goes.”
I think I would stop buying from Mission Bay if they were my local tri shop. This goes with the old rumor that bike salesmen only recommend the bikes that they are being spiffed on.
Why would you do that? If you owned a business and you thought you were getting shafted by a supplier, wouldn’t you give more business to the loyal suppliers who didn’t try and sell you out?
Don’t hold bike shops to a higher standard than you would a normal business, or yourself for that matter (not making a judgment about you personally - for the record). They have real world issues just like other companies and have to make the right decision for themselves…just like Kestrel thought they were doing.
Just goes to show you how important it is to do the research yourself and not let someone at a shop talk you into the bike “that’s best for you.” But, that’s any business. To go into any place uninformed when you expect to put down at least a few thousand on something is inviting trouble.
That said, there are certainly some shops that will sell you the right bike for you, not for them. Edge is certainly amongst them, and I think Mr. Demmerley has demonstrated he looks out for the best interest of his customers as well.
Business in business - I understand that. But if I walk into Mission Bay with 5k in my pocket and want recommendations for bikes… I expect that I will get the bike that fits me and my needs rather than the bike that fits the needs of the bike shop. The fact that MB was no longer recommending Kestrels and Griffins is a business decision, but it strikes me as unethical the fact that business was steered away from them to preferred vendors. The needs of the store changed, not the needs of the buyers.
I am in no way implicating all bike shops with this practice by the way. Hank at Edge has sent me home with money in my pocket that was burning to get out, because he said I did not need what I really really wanted.
Bill said his purchases of Kestrels were down, so of course so are his sales. Can’t sell what you don’t have. Mission Bay has a large stock of Cervelos and Felts. I know, they had my size for P3 and F35 in the store when I bought them. You’re reading what you want it to this. Bill did not say he is putting people and any bike he wants. He is saying he only stocks what he wants, big difference.
Mission Bay is my local tri shop, and we’re lucky to have them. Don’t knock Bill without knowing him. Bill is not a salesmen, he is the owner of one of the best Tri shops in the country.
I don’t remember seeing where he said they didn’t recommend them. If they stopped buying them from the supplier then obviously they’d have less in stock to sell…
Either way - caveat emptor. People get into business to make money. MB should be appluaded for sticking up for themselves and telling Kestrel that they shouldn’t be taken for granted. I’d like to think my LBS are all honest folks who only want me to have the best, but I know that it’s my responsibility to be educated and well-versed about my purchases…I would expect the same from a car dealer or guy selling me a stereo.
Well, I’ll admit I don’t know Bill, so I’ll take your word for it, but it really seems you’re reading what you want from that quote. When read in context, I clearly interpret him saying they stopped pushing the Kestrel brand because they believed they weren’t being treated as they should. So, their answer was to start selling other brands. Loyalty. It’s pretty clear, and I never forget that the bike business is a business. Any like business is going to try and sell stock on hand, or brands that are more profitable. If Kestrel wasn’t willing to sell him the same number of bikes, I’m sure he was paying more for them. But hey, it sounds like Kestrel is the one that lost out on the deal - how could you go wrong being sold a Felt or Cervelo? As long as they fit - they’re great brands. I love my Felts.
I think you’ve got your facts wrong. This is from the article:
“We routinely bought big numbers from Kestrel,” said Linneman. “We’ve been one of Kestrel’s biggest dealers in the country for years. But our purchases from them are down by about two-thirds, because we show loyalty to those who show it back to us. Therefore, our sales of Cervelo and Felt have doubled in the same period of time. Now, Kestrel’s salesmen appear to understand they made a mistake in Chicago. They’re working to rebuild the relationship with us, and we’ll honor that. We’ll see how it goes.”
Thank you for your confidence JM3, and I assure you in all seriousness, you are right.
It is a frustrating part of our business that bike vendors (not all, but a few) use what I regard as underhanded methods to try to increase sales. I consider any technique other than the virtue of the performance of the product of suspect. There isn’t too much of that at our level- we’re too small- but they occasionally try it on me.
My refusal to buy into this is a big part of the reason I have a reputation as an asshole or a hard-liner in the bike biz.
The trust to get our customers on the right equipment is one I take very, very seriously and weighs very heavily on me.
We routinely bought big numbers from Kestrel,” said Linneman. “We’ve been one of Kestrel’s biggest dealers in the country for years. But our purchases from them are down by about two-thirds, because we show loyalty to those who show it back to us. Therefore, our sales of Cervelo and Felt have doubled in the same period of time.
He is buying 2/3 less Kestrels and selling 2x more Cervelos and Felts. He has changed the way he is doing business because of supplier relationships, not because the market has changed. My question is simple. If I walked into his store and asked for bike recommendations, would I be steered away from Kestrels and towards the Cervelos and Felts… not because of my needs, but because of his needs.
Don’t say I am reading into this what I want, the math does not lie.
The quote said Mission Bay cut back on Kestrel purchases. The only people reading into the quote are those implying that Bill is pushing other brands against the best interests of the customers.
Why not just trust ecb304 who actually has some experience shoping at Mission Bay?
It’s not like they didn’t or don’t still carry the line…they just doubled-down with Felt and Cervelo.
If you walked into a bike shop and ‘asked’ for recommendations, you’d get a different one from just about each sales person. If you wanted a kestrel he’d have sold you one, and still would…it’s your responsibility to wade through the sales jargon and is your responsibility to make the right choice.
If he didn’t sell Litespeed…but the Blade was really the best bike for you to buy and what you wanted, would you expect him to go down to the Litepseed store and buy one there? Or maybe he’d recommend what he carrried and wanted to sell you?
Math has nothing to do with it…it’s about consumers and suppliers and both having to make educated decisions that suit them best.
Business in business - I understand that. But if I walk into Mission Bay with 5k in my pocket and want recommendations for bikes… I expect that I will get the bike that fits me and my needs rather than the bike that fits the needs of the bike shop. The fact that MB was no longer recommending Kestrels and Griffins is a business decision, but it strikes me as unethical the fact that business was steered away from them to preferred vendors. The needs of the store changed, not the needs of the buyers.
Disclaimer: I don’t know the details of this situation. Why let that stop me from commenting on it, though?
The needs of the shop and the needs of the buyer are not necessarily mutually exclusive. *If *a bike manufacturer was giving the shaft to a major retailer, wouldn’t that be a red flag to you as a buyer? What makes you think a company is going to treat you any better than Mission Bay? I think it could be argued that Mission Bay is shielding is own customers from a company it’s lost a bit of faith in.
Also, this is a small industry. We really cannot afford to have manufacturers and retailers at odds with each other. Let’s all play nice and work together, OK?
If I walked into his store and asked for bike recommendations, would I be steered away from Kestrels and towards the Cervelos and Felts…
No. As some of you may remember, I am not a big fan of Mission Bay. But in all fairness to Bill, when I walked into the store this spring and said I wanted to spend around 2 grand for a Cervelo P2k or Felt, he did indeed point out the Kestrels as well. Of course, the one he pointed out was WAY out of my budget and the P2k he tried to sell me was the wrong size, but that’s another story…