A version of this feature ran in the March issue of BRAIN.
BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — For our March magazine edition, we asked our State of Retail panel members: What are your shop's primary strategies for acquiring and retaining customers?
LANCASTER, CALIF.: Paul Avila, owner Paul's Squeaky Wheel Bike Shop
Our location is good for walk-ins; we're next to a large grocery store. Most of our customers find us with Google searches for "bike shop near me" and word-of-mouth. I post on social media regularly. It never really does much for sales, but it gets likes. I ride the local trails as often as I can and talk to as many people as possible. It's fairly common to make deals on the trail for parts and service because customers know me as the shop owner.
I’ve done a lot of different things to build awareness for the shop: I signed up for a “Best Of Retail” contest with the local newspaper. I had small decals made. I give my mom business cards; she goes to a lot of garage sales and talks to people. This has resulted in sales. I created a working relationship with the manager of a local nonprofit shop. He sends his e-bike repair customers my way, and I send him customers that need parts we don't have.
We strive to provide the best possible service for a fair price, knowing that if we do a good job, the customer will come back, and they’ll tell their friends and neighbors about us. We use a text service to communicate work order status and build rapport with non-buying customers. People respond to texts much more than voicemail. We rarely make phone calls to hot leads or existing customers. We simply text them and build the relationship. We also offer a 10% discount to military and first responders for parts and accessories. With a military base nearby, this works out well.
SOMERVILLE, N.J.: Marc Cianfrone, owner Pops Bike Shop
We use social media to attract customers. We do a fair amount of posting on Facebook and are starting to use Instagram more often. We also sponsor a number of local teams, and we’re very involved in the Tour of Somerville, the oldest running amateur race in the USA. Word-of-mouth is always important, and we encourage our customers to spread the word via Google reviews. I am looking to bring new customers into the world of cycling to complement our outreach to enthusiasts, so we do as much community outreach as possible, sponsoring events outside of typical bike-related activities, such as local car cruise nights and the upcoming Puppy Paw-looza event in town.
For retention, we do special outreaches to our top 50 customers whom we identify with monthly reports. One holiday season, we cashed all our credit card points into Visa gift cards and mailed them to our top 25 customers with a handwritten card wishing them happy holidays and thanking them for their support. Almost everyone came back and spent them in the store and commented how blown away they were.
BUFFALO, N.Y: Jim Costello, sales director Bert's Bikes and Fitness
Bert's has been in business for 53 years. It’s necessary to explore every avenue to get people in the door. There is so much opportunity out there. To build our customer base, we use television, billboards, social media advertising, email, and text campaigns. We’re heavy on the billboards throughout our markets. Television is great, but declining and OTT/streaming content advertising is very hit or miss, depending on the platforms. Social media ads are a great value. We are also involved in most events in our communities. Marketing to existing customers is our No. 1 priority. Email and text campaigns, social media outreach, and rewards programs keep the folks coming back for more. Our advice is to know your market and not focus on segments that you're not authentic in.
MITCHELL, S.D.: Kourtney Denne, co-owner Ron’s Bike Shop
We rank community involvement as our most effective driver of new customers. By staying visible at community activities, people get to know us before they ever need a bike. We rank word-of-mouth second. Positive experiences, strong relationships, and a welcoming environment lead customers to recommend us to others. Personal referrals carry a lot of trust and often turn into long-term customers. Third is advertising through social media and radio. Consistent posts, event promotion, and local radio ads keep our shop top-of-mind, reinforce our brand, and reach new audiences.
We promote our shop by staying active, visible, and deeply involved in our community. Hosting events is a cornerstone of our outreach — from our annual mountain bike race to community rides held every other Tuesday night. Throughout the year, we offer a variety of events designed to welcome new riders, engage families, and keep cycling fun and accessible for all skill levels. We also travel to events and work closely with local schools and youth programs to introduce kids to biking early and encourage healthy, active lifestyles.
We retain customers by building relationships, not just transactions. Through strong local partnerships, group rides, workshops, and community events, we make our shop a place people want to return to — not just when they need a bike, but when they want to connect.
SANTA ROSA, Calif.: Sophia Emad, social media/event specialist and sales associate Breakaway Bikes
Our shop is conveniently across the street from a grouping of three parks — regional, county, and state — and most of our walk-in customers come from the trails. The other two most popular ways we get customers is through local cycling teams (youth and adult) and word-of-mouth. Every summer we host a monthly get-together in the park, and provide snacks and beverages to any and everyone that shows up. We encourage people to ride in and chat with others. It builds a strong sense of community, and that is one of our goals as a shop: Creating an open and welcoming environment is very important to us. We try to focus on building relationships with customers and do our best to meet them where they are at. We always welcome input on products, share our own preferences, and even take surveys of the teams we support to learn what they want from a local shop.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio: Matthew Schieferstein, manager/bike fitter Gear Up Velo
Word-of-mouth referrals, community involvement, and shop location have all played a part in our success. We pride ourselves on exceptional quality of service, sales, and products, and we feel that reputation precedes us. Quantity attracts customers; quality ensures their return. Though inherently subjective, quality is the only thing you can hope to control. Brands you carry may change, and products may vary in availability. However, the quality and consistency with which you provide services to your customers must be paramount if you are to retain a loyal customer base. Our store is close to many popular cycling routes and trails, such as the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (through which the famous Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail runs) and many local nature reservations. Our primary method of building brand awareness is through direct community involvement by assisting with mechanical service at charity rides and gravel events, sponsoring local club and race teams, and putting on our own title events, such as an annual criterium and weekly group rides. We have a bevy of riders sporting our shop-branded kits at the many local and regional events.
WHITEHOUSE, Texas: Laurie Simpson, manager/buyer Simpson's Fitness & Adventure Sports
Location and legacy are our top-ranked sources of customers. Our shop has been up on the hill in Whitehouse, Texas, since 1980. Customers who got their first Trek bike from us are now bringing their kids in to buy bikes of their own. The second-best way we get customers is through a great brand that sends people our way, and that’s Trek’s dealer locator. Being aligned with a trusted brand makes a big difference. Thirdly, I’m The Bike Chick on YouTube, and we’re also active on TikTok to reach the younger generation. “If they don’t know you, they don’t follow you.” Our brand awareness is backed up by strong Google reviews, so when people search for a bike shop, they immediately see real experiences from real customers.
BENTONVILLE, Ark.: Brent Van Eps, co-owner Trackstand Cyclery and Tavern
Searches for "bike shop near me" and "bike shops Bentonville" are the No. 1 driver of customers to our shop. A close second is customers just driving by or visiting other stores in our center. We have pretty good signage and are located right off a very busy street. Third would be word-of-mouth. While we don’t have a budget for advertising, we keep our website and SEO up-to-date. My wife and son have done a great job handing out fliers at local trailheads and going door-to-door to help get the word out about our shop. We’ve worked with a local trail advocacy group, offering tuneup coupons at its Christmas party. Social media is much slower than several years ago, but we still try. Our content is almost all original and our own and certainly gives some good insight as to who we are, what we do, and what we are planning in the future.
We offer yearly service plans that are a really good value for the customer. They’ve been very successful in our first few months. If we were paying a mechanic or two, these wouldn't work well at all, but for how we are structured now, they have been excellent for repeat business and profitability. Once our tavern is open, we expect even more success. By far though, the biggest driver for retaining customers is just being nice. Seriously, customers want to support a business that is friendly, remembers them, and is grateful for their visit.
