The virtual is not an adequate substitute for the authentic.
At The Bike Shop List, we have been around for a long time. Perhaps not the List as we know it today but in the Business of Bicycles... yep. Christopher Georger is the principal and currently sole worker bee at TheBikeShopList.com and his past work life has been spent in all levels of our industry.
Well, I have finally opened a Facebook Page for TheBikeShopList.com I have come to the reality that with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence making lists can be pretty easy. I have been approached and inquired about how to automate my processes and concluded that the lists I provide are not easy. The acquisition of the data can be quickly achieved through AI. But that is not what my lists are. When I started it was to help find time and free up resources for Bicycle People. When I supply a list it is to shorten the task of finding the right shops for your brand. The BikeShopList is current and each name/address etc is double verified where I need to find the data in other internet sites (At least 2) to have that entity qualify. My lists are time sensitive and that is just not the way AI works. AI is kinda like "if ever" and not "Now". I bought a "Bike Shop List" that found it's way to me and did some research. Yes, it had a large count of Email addresses and locations... but is was a Web Scraping event (WebCrawler) (AI) and someone searched "Bike, Bicycles, Cycles" in Linkedn. Well, any and all hits related to these search words were considered valid. Not only were there companies I have never heard (or in the Bike Business) of but also names that didn't belong. When in Linkedn your connections stretch way past your first contacts. Anybody who knew you and anybody who knew them and anybody who knew them and on and on and on. Seeing 63 Email addresses for Specialized looked wrong since Specialized is a brand but further review revealed they were not current Specialized. One of the names was a salesman who worked for me in the 1990's and went to Specialized after me and then to Giant Bicycles. He also tragically passed away in 2014. He was one of the names on the list from a company he did not work for and that company (Specialized) did not belong on a list of "Bike Shops"
Perhaps a little more detail please...
2024 RETAILER LIST
*A bike shop is defined as a retailer who sells an IBD bicycle brand and is currently listed on a brand’s Dealer Locator List.
The Good List
Includes IBD (independent bicycle dealer) name, address, city, state and ZIP for 7,000+ US bicycle retailers and email addresses for over 4600.
Data is provided in an Excel file with pre-programmed filters to allow for easy manipulation.
The Better List
Reveals which bike brands (of 150+ tracked) are available for sale at each IBD location.
The brands offered can be a strong indicator of the profile of a shop.
The Best List
Integrates demographic census data, MSA and estimated market revenue, plotted on a dynamic Google Earth data map.
Custom maps can easily be created using your sales data to give you a detailed visual overview of sales territories, MSA, market penetration and sales trends over time.
DATA MAPPING
An interactive Google Map can provide an overview of the competitive landscape
METHODOLOGY
Top 4
If a bike shop offers one of the TOP 4 brands (TreK, Specialized, Giant or Cannondale) it can indicate they are one of the top IBDs in the area since their consumer base can support sales for these premium brands.
The Rest
The bicycle industry has over 50 legitimate brands which are not included in the TOP 4 or what I call OPB (Other Popular Brands). IBDs who feature these specialty and niche brands are defined as OPB. This includes (but is not limited to) Pivot, Salsa, BMC, Haro, Pinarello, Linus, Rocky Mountain, Pedego, Faraday, Stromer, Yuba or Orbea.
WHAT PEOPLE THINK
Happy Customers
“Christopher is a thoughtful partner. His information supports our multiple point data collection so we are best prepared to make strategic decisions. We have experienced an able and prepared partner who is supportive and most accommodating.”
John “JT” Thompson
General Manager of Giant Bicycle
“I’ve known Christopher for over 20 years. In my opinion he’s the doctor of data. 20 years ago he did things that have never been done before and provided insightful data that we’re still using today.”
Chris Fortune
President of Saris Cycling Group
“Honest, reliable, efficient and cost effective. Gets me the data we need so we can make well-informed decisions regarding our sales strategies.”
Bruno Maier
President of Allite, Inc.
IN THE PRESS
Vosper: Nearly half of US bike shops don't carry any of the Big Four brands
Georger Data Service expanding retailer resource offerings
Vosper: Top-ten bike brands have shifted significantly since 2010
Vosper: Dealer count 2020
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News – May 11, 2020
The Bike Shop List is newly updated for Spring 2020
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News – February 21, 2020
The spectacular success – and failure – of Bike 3.0, Part One
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News – June 17, 2019
OK, so we have 7,000 bike shops. Now what?
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News – April 22, 2019
Just how many bike shops are there, anyway?
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News – April 9, 2019
Is the number of shops shrinking?
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News – April 9, 2019
CONTACT US
The Bike Shop List was created by Christopher Georger, a 50+ year veteran of the bicycle business, bike activist, brand consultant and owner of Georger Data Services.
Christopher Georger
716_866_8159 Mobile
716-631-0592 Desk
FOOTER
Copyright 2024. The Bike Shop List. All rights reserved.
The "Good" list is a full listing of Bike Shops in the USA and includes full addresses and phone along with web presence and email when available.
The "Better" list is the most often requested list we offer. It now includes the brands available at each location which adds incredible insight to the shop profile. Since it is on an Excel Spreadsheet the columns and information can be "filtered" to include or exclude certain brands in a search. It can even be used to identify brands in a Specific market when the MSA/CBSA columns are activated. Working with this spreadsheet you can also find your "Compatible Competitor" or a brand that fits well with your brand alongside it.
The greatest way to help is to provide a tool that is clear and concise and will get the job into the "Done" outbox.
When you get the "Best" list you will receive all the spreadsheets in the "Good" and "Better" but also a mapping tool which will open a layer in Google Earth Pro and it will place all the data on a usable map with all the functions to zoom in and move about to get to know the geography and spatial relationships between dealers.
Let's have a chat in Zoom or just on the phone and take a look to get a feel for these tools.
For 20 years we have been providing specific reports that include YOUR sales by dealer into this tool. Not just names but identifying your customer base mapping your sales territories, and now with Brands also available in your participation store... with your specific history so that everything is in one place for decisions
Yes, Summary data.
Once your data (always protected by NDA's) we then apply your sales territory information and market demographics so you can review the spreadsheets and maps at a high level and look at totals for markets including your sales but also counts of dealers for you and your competitors.
Copyright © 2024 The Bike Shop List - All Rights Reserved.
If you would like to read the history of some Schwinn Press releases...
http://georger.com/gds/schwinn_press_releases.htm
What About lists generated by Artificial Intelligence?
Call Christopher 716_866_8159