+43%. That is how much the bike market grew in France between 2019 and 2021, according to a study by the Union sport & cycle, for whom cycling is “a fundamental tool for mobility and for making physical activity and sport accessible to all”. Ready to ride? Follow Lokki’s coach to open a bike shop or a bike rental business with peace of mind.
To look after the environment.
For the fun of it.
To avoid the rush on public transport.
To spend less.
To discover new landscapes.
To share a moment with the family,
To build up those thighs…
For all these reasons and surely many more, cycling keeps growing. It is in fact the favourite means of transport of the French, ahead of e-scooters, cars, motorbikes and scooters, according to a study by the Union sport & cycle, a French trade association bringing together leisure, sport and soft mobility companies, published in April 2022.
Opening a bike shop: a good idea, and a really good one at that
This bike boom shows up in every statistic for the sector, whether it is the manufacturing, sale or rental of bikes, conventional or electric, as well as cycle tourism and the use of cycle paths in France:
- The number of bike passages increased by 39% compared with 2019.
- On the most recent routes, the number of passages increased by 7 to 11%
- 2.7 million bikes were sold in France in 2021, including 660,000 e-bikes (that is +28% in one year)
- 800,000 bikes were produced in France in 2021, compared with 660,000 in 2020, despite the supply problems caused by the health crisis
- France is the world’s second destination for cycle tourism, after Germany.
- In 2020, 1,784 km of cycle lanes were opened, that is +165% in one year
Lokki’s riddle: do you know which French area is the champion of cycle paths? (Answer at the bottom of the article!)
- Calvados
- Île-de-France
- Aveyron
Want to ride this trend? Want to open a bike shop or a bike rental business? Take Lokki’s word for it: what follows should interest you.
Tip no. 1: Do a market study to open the RIGHT bike shop
Open. Bike. Shop. Check. ✅
Yes, but what exactly❓ Rental❓ Sales❓ Guided tours❓
Unfortunately, your decision does not depend only on what you feel like doing. It is a strategic choice. So the first step is to carry out a market study, to make sure there is a real business opportunity.
To do this, you need to analyse several criteria:
- The demand for bikes in the area: tourism? city centre? cycle paths? a sporty region? How big is the market? What quantities are sold? How many customers are there on the market? How is that number changing?
- An assessment of your target: area and population, which will help you choose the product range for your customers: young people? sporty people? city dwellers? Flat country or hills and mountain passes? This will help you understand which bikes are needed: city bikes, e-bikes, mountain bikes…
- The competition in the area where you want to open your bike shop: how many bike shops are there? Which bikes? What kind of offer? How many bikes do they sell or rent? What are their financial results? Who do they sell to? How do they communicate?
- How the market is changing, in value and in volume
- The context of the project: What is the current economic situation? What is the unemployment rate? Which trades will you need? Are there particular pressures on your market? What are the policies on tax, retail and so on? How much does sustainability matter locally?
Lokki’s riddle: which bike sold the most in France in 2021?
1. Electric mountain bike
2. Folding bike
3. City bike
Tip no. 2: Choose the right location to open your bike shop
Spreadsheets full of figures are all very well. But you still need to know where to land! The location of your bike business, whether for rental or sales, is key to its visibility and appeal.
- Go for catchment areas with a high population density. That can be a neighbourhood, a town or even a whole city. Enough people need to live there (everyday use) or pass through (tourism).
- Make sure your premises are clearly visible to passers-by. The far end of an alley is not exactly a great idea.
- Your bike shop must be easy to get around in. Remember that hundreds, thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of bike lovers may come to pick up their dream ride from you. So they need to be able to move around without bumping into things.
- Your bike shop must be easy to reach. BIS REPETITA. Also check that people can get to you easily: traffic, parking, public transport, and so on…
- Bpifrance, the French public investment bank, recommends playing the honey-and-bees game. In short, open your bike shop near large stores, known as “anchor stores”, which “attract the public and can bring in customers if the premises are well located in relation to them”. Or close to busy places (town hall, schools, tourist sites…)
- Find out how your location is likely to change. Are there property developments under way? How is the neighbourhood doing? Chat with your future neighbours, the local shopkeepers, and if possible go to the town hall to confirm this information.
- Check how bike-friendly your location is. The closer it is to cycle paths or bike parking, the better your bike shop will do. If it is not, consider stepping up your communication with customers (cycle path maps, suggested safe routes…) and beefing up your offer (repair workshop, accessories, special experiences, etc.)
Lokki’s riddle: how big is the smallest bike in the world?
- 60 cm
- 10 cm
- 30 cm
What about you, have you thought about starting a bike rental business? We can help!
Tip no. 3: Build a quality offer to open a truly top-notch bike shop
We all like going to restaurants, bars, cafés… But we enjoy it even more when the coffee is good, the dessert is so great you could almost lick the plate and the waiter is friendly, right? You get the idea: there is no good business without a quality offer!
What do you need to open an amazing bike shop?
- Excellent customer service: get trained in sales techniques (welcoming customers, understanding what customers really need, using POS and management software). Remember that smooth day-to-day management frees up time for your customers, which has been the key to any good business since the dawn of time…
- Take care of your communication: present your prices and terms (payment, lead times, etc.) clearly, ideally in an original and visually appealing way, and make sure your customers can find you (social media, local tourist landmarks…)
- Get to know your customers better, so you can offer a tailored experience and the right services to the right people at the right time, and build loyalty. This also means asking your customers for feedback on their experience in your bike shop.
- Know your products inside out and keep up with what’s new. Be warned: you will need to spend a few hours in front of your screen, the range is that big! This knowledge is essential to properly help your customers choose a bike to rent or buy.
- Beef up your offer, for example with a bike repair workshop, or with tourist or sports excursions, in partnership with local businesses or associations.
- Keep up with the market, so you can give your customers good advice on accessories and bike maintenance, both so they have a great time and so you become the go-to reference in your field.
Lokki’s riddle: which really original bike businesses exist in France?
1. Bike cafés
2. Bike restaurant
3. Bike grocery
Drum roooooooll, here are the answers to the riddles:
- Aveyron is the big French champion with 223 new km, followed by Calvados (163 km) and Haute-Loire (154 km).
- The city bike is the best seller (40% market share), ahead of the electric mountain bike (+46% in volume in 2021).
- 10 cm! It is the smallest working bike in the world, listed in the Guinness World Records! It weighs 20 grams, has more than 620 parts and you can see it at the Musée de l’Horlogerie et du Décolletage in Cluses, Haute-Savoie.
- All three, captain! They all exist, and here are the links, because we’re that nice at Lokki: bike cafés, bike restaurant, bike grocery
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