Retailer Spotlight - Elmy Cycles Ipswich
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
For our latest retailer spotlight, we spoke with Steven Grimwood from the brilliant Elmy Cycles in Ipswich, who has been working in the cycle trade since he was 14 years old.
Last year the business, which is an ACT member, marked its 100-year anniversary, with Steve spearheading the company for over 30 years, having taken over from Mr Elmy in 1992.
Steve explains, “I think the future looks great for independent bike shops - just in the way we are starting to see the resurgence of local book shops and local coffee shops, customers can get tired of the big corporate machine and drift away, looking for something more personal.
“Us indies have a great opportunity to curate interesting product lines, individual niches and react quickly to new products and trends. There are still a lot of questions for the future, like how suppliers can work with our market, perhaps by offering more indie-focused product lines or rotating stock to ensure the right models are on the shop floors. And of course, supporting dealer initiatives.
“One of the biggest mistakes suppliers sometimes make is treating retailers as a customer and not a partner. If they viewed their dealer network as their showrooms to the public, they could make much better use of us and our expertise.”
The Elmy team regularly attends and supports events such as a recent local Cyclo Cross which had over 300 riders present. An Elmy team took part in the ride last month, with Steve dressed as Santa to add to the fun!
“We have just completed a renovation of the store, with a new coffee shop area, function space and showroom. Just last month we hosted an open day with Oliver Bridgewood from Global Cycling Network, with over 90 customers attending a film night at a local cinema and a shop ride the next day.
“The future looks bright; despite the tough times the trade is in right now we have been here before - and it will go full cycle - we will get over this hill.”