Dear Genets, I tried my best with the translation, trying to be as close as possible to the original version from Marcal.....Michael, MRG, please feel free to add, change something if you think improves the text.
Introduction:
In the traditional or "physical stores" the final price is mainly directed for the fact you have the product on live, and for the value of direct and personalized attention of the store personnel.
In shops selling using internet channel, you do not have to bear the structure of a physical store, nor you should have the product available, nor you need to give personalized attention to the customer, which makes the price may be cheaper.
Direct to the subject:
At Tomas Domingo on Sepulveda street, Assos equipment for temperatures from 0 ° C. to 8 ° C., for Betty, there is not a single sample.
To buy the equipment, simple, we must do a deposit of some money, and bearing in mind the tights size Betty spent on summer from Assos, the shop will ask for a complete set to the factory, a total of 1,100 euros.
For me, in white color only the tights, nothing more, I should left a deposit and they will ask for the whole equipment, we look at other options in the same shop, but we came to buy Assos Winter equipment, from 0 ° C . to 8 º C. and this is what we wanted before entering Tomas Domingo.
Betty explains her disappointment to the seller, he demonstrates understanding, nothing more, comprehension.
We deduced that these invest of 2,200 euros at Tomas Domingo makes no sense, so we decided to go to Probike.
At Probike, we went directly to the women's clothing area, a wide area, where we seek Assos apparel, but this brand has not been selected at Probike for 2010. Then Sonia cames to us, a seller a few years ago had already work with us, we appreciate each other, I know, we were looking for women material, we went through the man section, and at that moment Txema came to talk to us, he is one of Probike's pillars.
Person appreciated by us, and especially for Colorado, the conversation starts and is heading for tracks that have nothing to do with what we have to do, looking for winter equipment.
Such is the situation I decided to leave Probike with this scenario, different than Tomas Domingo but similar result, having the need to leave the property, having clearly the idea we will not buy, at least at that time .
The feeling is bad, we decided to go for lunch, we talk about the experience, Betty, Colorado and myself, we were all disappointed, we went home after lunch.
Once in the car Betty proposed the idea to go to Chain Reaction, "so we could see directly what we have to buy blind," referring to the equipment Assos for temperatures from 0 ° C. to 8 º C.
Hours went by, and so we do, we decided to take a Sunday flight, we also decided Colorado will come with us, and that we will tell him later he has a flight to Ireland for Sunday.
We arrived to Chain Reaction Cycles at eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning, the reasons for the delay have been exposed on this space, lets go directly to what is important.
Once we arrived to the store MRG was looking for us, we went there with Michael, so we were four Genets and MRG, they propose us a tour around Chain Reaction Cycles facilities, as we were advised by MRG, our partner was Charly, responsible for the sales team, lead us department last department, area last area, always with the utmost kindness, without any hurry, a visit as with the accent that a visit should have, cordiality, warmth and cordiality, with a kindness always endearing.
MRG you have a sensational department head, indeed.
Once we finish the visit we went to the store to find the Assos equipment, MRG is always with us.
We carry a list of everything we want to see, also other options that we did not had in mind when we went to Tomas Domingo, but we included on the way to Probike.
Now at Chain, once in the store, giving the selected codes to the store staff, codes we were searching on the computer screen they have there in order the customers can request any reference of the entire Chain Reaction web page, and we have time, working hours are 9 to 21, as it sounds.
We ask for different references, asking MRG help about Endura clothing, and more references, first the Assos ones, Pearl Izumi, but for the perseverance of Colorado we also requested Mavic, for the MRG one we punctually left Assos aside, we keep asking for more references, sellers always with a smile, they always served both our reference lists or questions we ask, even we make mistakes and repeat sizes and colors and the vendors have provided us with a smile like the first time, they never take away a single reference to the many who have asked.
Comes lunch time, they kept all the material and invite us for lunch at the canteen with the staff of the company.
We go directly for lunch, we are hungry, we're excited, after lunch we will have hours to look all the material, opening bags and bags of equipment and more equipment, dozens and dozens of references that we want to see in order to be able to buy the best equipment of winter temperatures of 0 ° C. to 8 º C.
Once in the dinner room we can request a customization on the menu but we decided for the standard one, while Frank, the son in law of Chain owning family who was in the next table, proposed to visit in the afternoon the bike warehouse a few kilometers away. Honored we accepted the invitation.
At another table is the founder of Chain and his wife, having lunch with other employees.
After lunch, we return to the store and keep asking for material, for two hours or more, until Frank comes and takes us to visit the said warehouse, my friends, Colorado falls in love with Frank, also with his car, a Cadillac Escalade, "the one from Obama," Colorado says, Frank offers Colorado to drive the Escalade but he refuses to accept.
We arrived at the new facilities, 4,000 m2 of extra floor for with a considerable height, but packed full till the last shelf, plain and simple.
A lot of semi-automatic 80,000 euros fork lifts, are responsible to look for the bikes that have to leave, a trailer or two I don't remember, loading boxes and boxes of bikes with an ingenious system that I will not explain in this space, because it is a Chain Reaction idea, and shall be.
Returning to Chain we said goodbye to Frank, and went back to the store, putting appart more and more references, and each time we deliver the list to the seller we have a smile in response and the material is coming, reference by reference, quarters to seven o'clock in the afternoon and we clearly have seen the latest equipment.
We have to decide on different options, we will decide for Assos, Mavic, Pearl Izumi or Endura?. Assos off the picture, too delicate for mtb once we can compare, and discard Endura as jacket, following Chain vendor criteria, and finally discard Mavic jacket -15 ° C. to 6 ° C. We decide to take Mavic Jackets from 0 ° C. to 10 ° C., and a second Pearl Izumi jacket for Betty, we choose Pearl Izumi winter tights for me and Endura for Betty, the Endura Merino thermals, Endura socks, this time the Assos hats, and about the Shimano MW80 boots, Betty was not decided, I was between Northwave and Lake, finally I decided for the last ones, the gloves are Assos for 6 ° C. to 12 º C. For the 0 º C the model have no fingers, no option, we tried Giro, also Mavic but we were not sure, we have a clear idea about all the equipment, and what we do not take today, we take note of the sizes in case once at home we take a decision.
With this purchase system where we were able to see on live each model, where in the store there is always three or four vendors to ask, and where they attend you only if you ask questions or if you want them to be attending, you have little doubt to decide to buy.
Chain Reaction is a shop where the only issue to address is your subject, nothing more, our purchase moved as did not move for months, in fact this kind of shopping we have done in recent years at Doctore Bike at Mataró and now at Chain Reaction Cycles, there is no Assos apparel at Doctore, yes good service, I'd say one of the best.
On the data about stock coverage I think it is all published, no need to repeat it.
About the travel cost I will put a second detailed chronicle, because I want to publish a price comparative, not in this intervention because even surprising but at Chain Reaction we did not purchase for the price but for the service, I mean the internet shop that according to standards only has the price, we have bought there for the service, we took a plane, we went to Chain Reaction Cycles, the internet reference store that contradictorily but objectively we found the personalized attention that both physical stores in Barcelona certainly, for different reasons, really specific and detailed, we did not had, although it is true that at Tomas Domingo the seller had nothing to do, without their star product on the shelves, but this is not our subject, it is also true that Probike had the product, not Assos but the product in order to decide. The circumstances in this last establishment, where they do not have a clear idea that the only what matters to the customer, the only we want to talk to is what "we want", force us again to leave without the purchase of any material, and the decision to fly to Ireland, in order to visit Chain Reaction Cycles and buy the equipment.
Chain Reaction Cycles an internet shop that gives personalized attention into its facilities and where you have thousands of references, the latest of about a hundred or more, served as the first one and where at the moment we were ready to pay, their staff treated us as it was the more important sale ever, and surely it was not, as the store was full of Intense or Cove frames, to say some prestigious names, yes, yes, full of Intense and Cove frames, as it sounds.
Chain Reaction Cycles, a company with over four hundred people, more than five thousand meters of warehouse, maybe around 7,000 m2, with a stock of thousands of references, including thousands of bicycles, and is not a "somebody told me "no, we took a flight and went there to see" if they are what they look like they are "and I said"yes, they are what they say ".
Chain Reaction Cycles is now a competitive company in the internet bikes sales sector, and they are at the beginning of their way, as I tell you, this has not yet begun, a company where when we arrived the first sentence was"the most important asset is our customer', and when the hours went away the customers, we, we thought, we feel that we were for Chain Reaction Cycles the most important value.
After leaving Tomas Domingo and Probike the reality is that our feeling is they don't need us, we are nothing for them, simple and plain.
This is the key for business, the first ones, Chain Reaction Cycles, first made us feel good, secondly they have offered on live all product, the second ones, Tomas Domingo, had no product to offer, had to go fast to take coffee, not for the personal seller's attitude, yes for the environment, and the third ones, Probike, they had the product, Sonia had the best attitude, the staff I do not know where they want to go, and therefore, we have not felt well.
MTB, MTB, MTB.
I would say that this was not a 5-0, more a 0-5 indeed, Chain was not playing in their field, individual attention, Tomas Domingo yes, Probike also, Chain Recation Cycles was playing in the others area and the result was clear, the winner by a landslide is Chain Reaction Cycles.
The question is, if Tomas Domingo is a store specialized in the "physical selling", if Probike also is, but the two of them are not doing what they should, for various reasons but the same result, and Chain Reaction Cycles who is not this kind of shop, is doing this specialized physical sell, there is no sense in this situation.
A few days ago Colorado exposed into this space a phrase saying "the world upside down", now I would say the same.
Note:
Assos Jacket 851 was worth 220 euros at Tomas Domingo and at Chain I remember that about 270 euros with a Christmas promotion 10% at, so about 240 euros, it was more expensive than Tomas Domingo, but we decided we will not buy Assos Chain not for money, but for the concept, if we had decided Assos we sure had paid the 240 euros at Chain Reaction Cycles, for only one reason, we had the jacket in our hands and a smile in our lips, as sounds, as if that day Tomas Domingo had the stock they should, which is nothing more than having the winter equipment now when it's cold, we had bought at Tomas Domingo, as if at Probike Txema had focused on the same direction as the previously Sonia, clarifying two aspects that are easy to clear, the purchase would have done it at this time at Probike.
Dispatches From the Chain Reaction Cycles bikes from around the world, the physical stores do not understand anything of what and where.
MTB, MTB, MTB.
I can't avoid to put a small picture of what I've seen at Chain Reaction Cycles, I mean that t
his is not info provided by them:
Who takes care of customers has won the position.
Chain Reaction Cycles has that position today, more than 700,000 orders in 2010, even more, his is not their data, are my estimates, with a regional market yet, I mean Europe as the bulk of their sales, with the rest of the world in order to expand and with a current capacity, once with the new logistics improvements, I reckon they need about six months to have the machine well-shot, starting in June they will have a capacity without increasing its present organizational structure between 1.4 million and 2.1 million, and because improving the management of their stocks A, B, C, allows this increase on sales without increasing the stock, they are really covered, certainly has its sense but I only want to tell you that if they want, with one third of the stock they may continue to manage these 700,000 current orders and putting the current structure at full speed, without going far in the red zone, they can deal with these 2.1 million in orders , 1.8 million for sure.
"As I told you Miki Ruiz", hay have built a machine that can produce at its current size I would say that even the 2.3 million orders per year.
They have a gem in their hands, the jewel of the crown, they have created a tool to produce orders, with a customer willing to order, certainly. The just need some months and the machine will be fully in place.
"Miki Ruiz and they work two shifts I suppose", they can increase the load with an extra shift, over 2.8 million shipments per year, they maybe will suffer with the space at this time, maybe the tock too, but I'm sure they will be able to do it.
Trained, motivated, and with a competition that has spent too many years between complaint and complaint.
Chain Reaction Cycles while other stores as them looked and looked, Chain has done, is sized, increasing volume while everyone was crying, creating the structure for the next jump to 2.3 million orders, if they can do in 2012 better than 2013, because we know that at this point in Europe there will be no return, they will be unbeatable and over the threshold of 3,000,000 orders their position will be global.
Just a detail, large investments made, the machine is laid out today as a third of its capacity, a third as it sounds Xavi Paricio, with an annual growth between 20-30%, we have all the same understanding, what results they will achieve on the period 2011-2012-2013?
If the allowances are properly provided and the investments are now under a rational pattern, and not as the bad credit pattern the Irish bank had in recent years, if this aspect is properly sized, they are a carrier of last generation, with aspects to polish certainly, but with exceptional capacity qualities.
I want to insist that the data presented are strictly my personal reasoning, in any case can be extrapolated to other areas or used as solid data, even do I tell you what they are there, it is my job, but never endorsed by Chain Reaction Cycles, in any case, although I am sure they are clear that this is what they have in their hands, for sure.
Congratulate the family that owns Chain Recation Cycles, is one of the best projects I've seen in recent years, one of the best.
Traditional business, monopolistic distributors, hope you have a good plan, an ugly one, really ugly, to stop at once Chain before they reach the end line, because if you do not have one, you can follow crying, there is little more you can do .
Chain Reaction Cycles today, if they are not conditioned by the heavy investments, if the investments were made proportionally between equity and credit,if it's on this way, it is solely dependent on themselves.
Monopolistic sector you have an opportunity, that they forget that in order the machine works, "the foot must always be above the gas pedal," a detail, that will not happen.
MTB, MTB, MTB.
A chronicle which required days of ripening and 9 hours, 3 losses, so 6 hours to enjoy and enjoy doing it.
But I know, this not an usual chronicle, chipping stone, was a stonecutter has its moments of personal glory, intimate, this is one of them.
MTB, MTB, MTB.
