OPINION
E
ven as an MTB shop owner, industry marketing advisor and avid mountain biker, the MTB market is surprisingly difficult to assess for a multitude of reasons. This, I realised, must make it a rather large ask for the uninitiated.
Choice is a good thing if the choice is informed. Retailers Back in the 90s, MTB ruled the roost. Mountain bikes and brands alike need to clarify the choice for the consumer seemed to be the ride of choice both on and off the road as a based on what, where and how they ride. All too often I see new and exciting sport took hold. People quickly realised someone struggling up a hill with a 170mm travel bike when that these new bikes could go anywhere and do anything all they need for their riding is a 120mm. It is painful to see, – whether riding to school, commuting to work or going out and painful for the rider I am sure! Take the time to know for a bike ride with the family. No bridleway was off limits, your customer and how they ride before showing them the while canal and riverbanks became fair game for bike rides options available to them. – MTBs could do it all. Make MTB accessible. It is still the most accessible and These days though, it has become slightly more niche and flexible of the cycling sectors at its heart but if you fill your almost, dare I say it, cult-like. The rise of the road market store full of Rampage images and showcase the greatest played its part for sure, as did home Olympic success and edits, you will scare off the beginners, as the sport looks too similar British triumph in the Tour de France, among others. extreme or dangerous. You’re making yourself a niche within As a result, the MTB market started to shrink and fragment a niche. Of course, if, like my shop, that is your into labels such as XC, Enduro, Downhill, All go for it, but know your local Mountain, Trail… swiftly followed by Fat, Plus ‘Retailers and audience, customer base first and what they want. It’s a Size and so on. Wheel sizes changed, brands alike percentage game. In other words, if 50 per cent momentarily reverted, then changed again. Now there is a choice of three. Standards need to clarify of your audience is family/beginner, don’t came and went, fashions blew up, subsided the choice for furnish 80 per cent of your store with long travel superbikes surrounded by extreme and so on. At the same time, consumers were the consumer sports imagery. It is there for your customer given greater shopping choices, available based on what, base, not for your personal taste. from their handheld devices to add to their If, like us, your store is local to a trail, work huge menu of MTB options. Online, in-store, where and with that trail. Help develop the trails and cater direct, omnichannel. You get the picture. how they ride’ some of your offering to the core riders at that Things changed, and changed fast. trail. We get riders coming from all over the UK Then e-MTBs became the marmite to the bike park. They save their purchases until they get discussion of the mountain bike world, bike parks started to there because we cater for their niche and the trail they have take off in the UK and the huge number of events open to come to ride. We have also found that this has led to riders became baffling to the point of some series failing and incredible customer loyalty and repeat purchases as we are disappearing as soon as they had started. So much choice catering for their needs and giving them options to meet emerged at every level. those needs. So where does a consumer start, given this huge array of Every local trail also has a local riding ‘celeb’. This is options? How does the retailer start to meet their needs? someone who becomes a mini-hero to the local riding What exactly are their needs compared to what the industry community and who therefore becomes an opinion former. is telling them their needs are? Are consumers becoming Identify them – they could be the best ally you could have! disillusioned with all the changes? So many questions. This market is complex and changing at an alarming rate. Let’s start with what we know for a fact. It’s about the Consumers are changing, the market is changing – the consumer. Not the brands or products, not the distributors, industry has to move with it and adapt to survive. The very not the pros or even the retailers. It is the consumer that is basics of marketing are to know your customer. Master that leading the charge in our changing market and their choices and you will always be one step ahead of the market. n should be key to all of us wherever we work in this industry. www.bikebiz.com
06-07 BB151 OpEd Mark Almond final.indd 2
August 2018 | 7
20/07/2018 09:54