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| NEW: THE INDEPENDENT BIKE BLOG
The Independent Bike Blog is dedicated to the proposition that Reality Retail is better than on-line retail in the bicycle business. There are 4,000 real bike stores across the USA selling real bicycles, real accessories, providing real service and existing in all dimensions in real-time. Most have web sites too, but the physical store is where the future of cycling is being created every day, town by town, one interaction at a time. Real retailers deserve the support of both industry and consumers because of the value they offer. Real bicycle stores provide the manufacturing industry with a selling environment that represents their brands well. They also provide a quality link to the cycling public that other retailers can only hope to emulate. They allow people to interact with real humans, touch products instead of .jpgs, take it home today, support the local community, and experience all of the wonder and joy that cycling has to offer in the real world. Bike shops are great in ways your nearby http:// can only dream of. A world without bike shops would be a desolate world indeed, with Fewer People on Bikes Less Often. This blog is dedicated to the health of independent bicycle dealers doing business from real stores. Accept no substitutes.
NBDA SUPER SEMINARS
The NBDA Super Seminars at Interbike provide a mixture of basic and more advanced retail topics to help dealers succeed regardless of their size, region or experience level. The NBDA will present sessions for the first two days of the Las Vegas expo (September 18-19) as well as the day before the show opens (September 17). Seminars will be held in the Mandalay Bay Exposition Center. All Interbike attendees are invited to attend and all sessions are offered free of charge. Click HERE for program details.
ARE YOU ONE OF AMERICA'S BEST BIKE SHOPS? The National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) launched a new program at Interbike 2012 that rates bicycle stores in North America against the highest performance levels in the industry, with the goal of identifying and promoting “America’s Best Bike Shops.” The program defines the characteristics of “America’s Best Bike Shops,” and uses the results to lead bicycle shops to become the best they can be. It rewards the top performing participants for their achievements by providing recognition to consumers and the bicycle industry. An on-line application asks shop owners to explain what sets them apart from the competition, how they develop customer loyalty, and what they are doing to make their corner of the globe more bicycle friendly. Participating stores that receive the highest scores on the application will be visited by a mystery shopper who will rate the store on appearance, web site and customer service both in person and over the phone. Submissions for 2012-2013 are now closed, and awards will be anounced in September. Please check back for more details and how to submit for upcoming years.
OutDoor Demo: September 16-17, 2013, Bootleg Canyon, NV The NBDA endorses the industy's leading trade event, the Interbike International Bicycle Expo, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Visit the interbike.com web site for all the details. NBDA strongly encourages all bicycle retailers to attend this annual gathering of the industry. TWO INDUSTRY RESEARCH REPORTS NOW AVAILABLE!
 2012 U.S. SPECIALTY BICYCLE RETAIL STUDY
The latest 2012 edition of the NBDA Specialty Bicycle Retail Study presents an in-depth profile of the retail marketplace in the United States. It covers the 2011 calendar year, and includes projections from retailers about their views of the market...
Member price $69. >>> Click for more details & order online
 Member price $199. >>> Click for more details & order online DEALER MEMBERS - WANT TO SERVE ON THE NBDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS? Nominations are now open for two-year terms on the Board of Directors, which guides all NBDA activities. The board meets at least three times per year—generally once at the Interbike expo in Las Vegas, once in the winter, and once in the fall for a two-day planning retreat. Other responsibilities include serving on various committees, working in the NBDA booth at Interbike, and other tasks as they arise. Travel expenses for meetings are reimbursed by the NBDA but board members are volunteers who are not paid for their service. To be considered for nomination, e-mail the NBDA office by June 1 for an application that will then be shared with all Nominating Committee members prior to phone interviews. The application is also available at: www.nbda.com/get/boardapp. If elected, your first meeting will be at the Interbike show in Las Vegas.
WEB TOOLS HELP INDEPENDENT DEALERS BUILD THEIR BRANDS AND THEIR BUSINESS! Single-brand concept stores are not a guarantee of success. Many extremely successful retailers carry multiple brands representing a "best in category" focus designed with the needs of customers first. The product brands they carry are important, but secondary to providing the correct mix of products and services that best serve their customers, their businesses and their values. The NBDA Independent Concept provides online tools and resources organized by key operational categories containing checklists, articles, best-practice ideas, examples, conversations, case histories, and more—all intended to help the individual retailer analyze their business and chart a course for improvement THE
NBDA PROUDLY SUPPORTS AND ENDORSES THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND EVENTS
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The 2013 NBDA Super Seminar series is designed to bring powerful and relevant information to help bicycle retailers become stronger and more dynamic businesses. Many retailers are responding to severe marketplace challenges by improving internal operations, reaching out to new customers, and putting systems in place to track and improve results.
