What needs to happen so that small independent bike dealers can take advantage of the opportunities offered by smartphones and the internet? How can they offer customers even better service and what can be done to counter the major international internet competition? These questions are preoccupying the bicycle trade and these protagonists have taken a new approach to the topic:

The idea behind Veloplace.com, according to a press release, is to create a platform with which retailers and wholesalers can network local specialist retailers. Under the motto "Next door is everywhere", bicycle retailers can serve their customers online and offline, offer advice and service and also control and minimize their storage costs as their range grows, meaning they can be there for their customers from next door at all times. However, the concept does not appear to be entirely new: for some years now, it has been common practice at the Rotkreuz-based online retailer www.shop-velo.ch for customers to order online and for goods to be delivered by post or collected from a local bike store. There are currently over a hundred bike stores on board at shop-velo.ch that rely on this concept.

You can't do it alone, but together you can

Customers can also use a terminal in the Veloplace store to access stock that the retailer does not have in stock and have it sent either to their home or to the retailer. "We want it to be convenient for our customers: Whether they want to order online at home or in our store, whether they want to have the items delivered to their home or collect them from our store, we want to be able to offer our customers all options. We want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Internet, smartphones and online shopping. We couldn't do this as an individual bike store, but we can with Veloplace," says Cyrill Wiget, owner of the Velociped specialist bike store in Kriens.

Potent partners on board

At the beginning of the year, the initiators presented a concept to selected partners and combined the name Veloplace with the description "An open platform for Swiss retailers and wholesalers". The feedback and willingness to participate after the concept presentation surprised even the initiators: Already in the first half of the year, it became clear that Veloplace was a decisive development in the Swiss market. With Amsler Bikes & Parts, Chris Sports, Fuchs-Movesa, Tour de Suisse Rad, TST Trading and Vitelli Velobedarf, heavyweights of the Swiss importer landscape are participating in Veloplace and seizing the opportunity to collaborate on an open Swiss platform right from the start.

One hundred bike stores in a team

With this Veloplace setup, the marketplace's creators also convinced over a hundred independent bike dealers who recognized Veloplace's potential. As a result, Veloplace will soon be present in a hundred stores in Switzerland. Veloplace.com was officially launched at the end of June and the beta version went live at the same time. The range is not yet available in its future breadth and depth, and only Velociped in Kriens is currently listed as a retailer.

Driving forces: Komenda and Velociped

"After getting in touch with many independent bike dealers over the past few months, we are currently delighted to have received over a hundred commitments to work with Veloplace.com. We are currently in the beta phase, which we are using to round off the interaction between all parties involved. We are therefore working intensively with Velociped in Kriens during this phase and have already integrated Velociped as the first pilot dealer on the platform. As soon as this phase is complete, we will connect all other dealers. The same applies on the wholesale side: thanks to the close cooperation, we look forward to being able to offer a large portfolio in the near future," says Dominic Land, Manager of Veloplace, to Ride.

The response has been enthusiastic for both the industry and retailers: "It is groundbreaking that retailers can combine their core competencies, namely proximity, service and advice, as well as a personal handshake, with the advantages of online retail. Until now, everyone knew that this was the future, but the investment for each individual was simply too high. With Veloplace.com, we are joining forces," Land continues.