Act global, think local. 

How does a small bicycle shop stand a chance

when some of the most recognizable retailers are 

facing unthinkable losses?  In 2017, JCPenny's announced its plans to close 138 stores, Macy's; 100 stores, Radio Shack; 200, Sears; 42, Kmart; 108, Abercrombie and Fitch; 60, and the list goes on. Infact, much of what we are see with online shopping trends has taken place in just a little over a decade. As consumers become more comfortable and savvy with internet purchases, it becomes even more essential for brick and mortar retailers to carve out their space online—no matter how small your store may be. In fact, believe it or not, the smaller you are, the better your odds for success are. Many of the largest brand retail chains have simply become to large to move swiftly. With online activity becoming part of our modern-day shopping reality, it's even more important that stores are able to maintain A+ customer service, while at the same time become incredibly agile -- and write this down "Lite". In the 80's the Japanese became a world powerhouse, literally overnight. Japan was ranked 1st in the world for GNP and yet, the county could fit inside the state of Montana. How? They slimmed down their product production to focus only on the top 3 sellers out of 10. That allowed them to cut their overhead cost on the supply and product lines and maintain greater quality control. It's a lot easier to manage 3 products than 10. So what did that mean for Japan, well, think about the top brands that come out of this tiny country during these times—they are the same brands that are still the strongest and the best in their categories today, 30 years later; Sony Mitsubishi, Nikon, Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and the list goes on. Think about that, and go back to the drawing board. Can you carve out your nitche in the cycling market today. Sure you can. Focus on your local market, provide key services (everybody needs parts for their bikes (be it a tire or a tune-up and most folks don't know how to do for themselves -- so where will they go? Let them know ONLINE that you are their to help them (and that you're the best), get them in the shop so they can get to know you EVEN IF THEY BOUGHT THEIR BIKE AT KMART! Win them over with your service or selling them a tube for their tire and their next bike with be from your shop. Think small, act big. 

Here's why; People want to a reason to shop in their own community. If for no other reason, it's an added layer of security.  No matter how convenient it might be to shop online from the comfort of your own home, if you can do so from a retailer in your own community, you're much more likely follow through. However, security, is one reason, for many it's about the home town experience, the face-to-face exchange of goodwill, knowledge, and even a continued relationship through follow-up services and add-on purchases. 

Amazon has millions of products, your shop only carries a few hundred. Who cares. As long as you have what your local customer is looking for, you can offer much more than Amazon ever will be able to. On a local level, the small retailer isn't competing for sales online, but rather for an emotional connection with it's local community. A bike shop can act as a home for its customers—a handshake and a smile will go along way. It's about trust, friendliness, readiness, instant satisfaction, and much more. Amazon doesn't provide a "try before you buy" policy. It doesn't provide face to face knowledge. It doesn't provide repair services. It doesn't provide connections to other cyclist in your community. It doesn't provide the experience and advice that your local shop can. When you buy from a local shop, you leave knowing you made the right choice, when you buy from Amazon, not only is it a time drain returning a product and starting over from square one, but your dealing with a nameless, faceless impersonal entity.

Competing with the giants online, keep it simple and start by giving your local community good reason to buy from you —