The Bike Cooperative (TBC) announces new partnerships that give member-shops exclusive access to data and training resources focused on growth and profitability.
Manchester, NH: – The Bike Cooperative (TBC) is excited to announce new partnerships with Retail Toolkit and The MANN Group, which take the form of powerful new data tools and training resources designed to help IBDs answer the challenges of modern retail.
After welcoming new leadership from Lindsay Gaskins and reducing membership dues, The Bike Cooperative - with over 300 member-stores across the country - began work on forging valuable new partnerships with Retail Toolkit and The Mann Group. "There are a number of areas that Independent Bike Dealers must invest in if they're going to compete with pressure that simply didn't exist in this space 10 or even 5 years ago," Gaskins said. "Our newest partnerships represent 2 of them: technology and training."
TBC's partnership with Retail Toolkit uses the cooperative's national scale to create CO-OPTICS, a new add-on for the retail management platform that gives TBC members exclusive, actionable data insights. "Good, actionable data has become table stakes for retailers," explains Retail Toolkit's General Manager, Dan Kowalke. "To meet that need, Retail Toolkit provides key metrics around traffic and inventory to schedule and purchase more accurately. " For Gaskins, the partnership highlights the natural benefit of cooperating with data. "As a co-op, creating synergy with IBDs across the country is vital. To reflect that, CO-OPTICS is a completely new and cooperative approach to data. It's designed to seamlessly leverage our co-op's scale to guide IBD's towards smarter inventory, sales, and growth decisions. " A beta program for this feature is currently underway.
For the Bike Cooperative, arming IBDs with the tools to grow smarter doesn't stop at data. TBC's partnership with The Mann Group focuses on using those insights with the re-launch of regional LEADERSHIP and G.E.A.R. training events at reduced rates.
"Bicycle retailers who are investing in training—both in their leadership and in their frontline —are thriving," says Dan Mann, President and CEO of The Mann Group. "By partnering with The Bike Cooperative to provide training to IBDs across the country, we're not only going to increase the success and profitability of those independent retailers, but the bike industry overall. We couldn't be more excited about the impact this partnership will have on IBDs and the future of the industry."
There are 4 regional GEAR training events scheduled in 2019, with more to come in 2020:
- August 19th - Manchester, NH
- August 26th - Orlando, FL
- September 9th - Philadelphia, PA
- September 23rd - Chicago, IL
As Gaskins explains, "these new partnerships are only the beginning of a roadmap packed full of innovations focused on helping new bike shops establish themselves confidently - while giving veteran bike shops the edge they need to adapt to a changing industry." To learn more about The Bike Cooperative, visit https://thebikecooperative.com/
About The Bike Cooperative
The Bike Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative of nearly 300 independent bike retail locations across the U.S. Our mission from day one has been to help successful bike stores become more profitable and enable them to get more people on bikes in their communities.
Learn more at TheBikeCooperative.com or email hello@thebikecooperative.com for more information.
