SAN JOSE, Calif. (BRAIN) — All 106 Performance Bicycle stores are now accepting used bike trade-ins via Bicycle Blue Book's program, which provides customers with store credit in exchange for their old bikes, which are shipped to BicycleBlueBook to resell.
About 1,200 bike shops in the U.S. are now using the program, said Ira Becker, the president of Bicycle Blue Book. Besides Performance, Northern California's Sports Basement chain, with 9 stores, and Southern California's Jax bike shops, with 10 locations, are now using the program.
Becker said Performance did a trial run with Bicycle Blue Book at four locations near its headquarters in North Carolina, and then rolled it out nationally in May.
"They've done a great job with in-store merchandising, hang tags, counter signs ... They are marketing the program with their email marketing list, their website and their catalog," Becker said. He said Bicycle Blue Book has worked with Performance district managers to train store employees on the program.
While Becker declined to say how many used bikes Bicycle Blue Book has purchased, the company's eBay store regularly lists over 700 available bikes.
"Our focus has been about developing our footprint (with retailers) making sure bicycle trade-ins become ubiquitous, just as easy and common to trade in as a car," Becker said. From the shop's perspective, he said, "Anything a shop can do that incrementally leverages a customer's interest is a great opportunity. Many shops are seeing people trade-in a $500 bike and buy a $2,500 new bike."
