54 | SME Business Elite Supplement 2020 61 | Q1 2021 Sep20018 Full Of Cycle Spirit Based in London, Cycle Spirit is a cycle store and repairs service, offering its customers a range of quality bicycles, accessories and more. Following its well-deserved success with SME News, we got in touch with Annie to find out more about one of London’s leading bicycle stores. Cycle Spirit aims to be the number one cycle store for urban and city cyclists, and work towards creating a better environment for consumers to approach the world of cycling. To begin, Annie provides a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into its clientele. “The business was initially set up to help support the growing demand in cycling. Strategically placed in an area that received funding for new cycle infrastructure to be built, the area has since been nicknamed ‘Waltham Forest Mini Holland’ by Londoners. “Selling brand new bikes and offering a tailored service for the new cyclist that wishes to start cycling to work, we are dedicated towards high-quality products. Additionally, the store has a fully equipped servicing and maintenance centre to support existing cyclists in and around London. By providing our customers with the right information, we allow them to make the perfect choice and enhance the overall customer experience. The majority of our clients are keyworkers in and around London, including a growing NHS and school teacher customer base. Engaged with the wider local community, we are now seeing an increase in demand from the over 50’s age group due to the challenges faced with public transport during the COVID-19 outbreak. Cycling comes with many health benefits, and in the long-term this will help lead a ‘greener’ environment and help towards the success of ‘healthy street’ initiatives.” Across the city of London Cycle Spirit are in direct competition with several other bicycle stores, however as Annie goes on to explain, its tailored approach to clients and specialist services has enabled the firm to distinguish itself from fellow competitors. “The team take note of the requirements before matching these up to source the perfect bike. Full-trade support from the industry also helps with the stocking of carefully selected independent brands. In addition to sourcing new bikes, we often deal with the restoration of old ones which can save our customers money if we have all the parts available.” Staff members at Cycle Spirit boast over 35 years of bicycle knowledge, and as Annie points out, this expertise has been invaluable in helping the firm achieve a high level of customer service. “The company culture here is built around excellent customer service and with a wealth of talent to call upon no job is ever too big or small for us to take on. By taking feedback on board, we aim to create a culture of excellence.” Despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the firm has still managed to prosper during these difficult and uncertain times as Annie explains further. “Lockdown created additional pressures in the industry as the demand for bicycles surged. As a new business with few resources, the team had to adapt to the changes to help meet this demand. The team were super proactive during this period as supplies ran low and keyworkers needed to be mobile. By spending over 2.5 months servicing bikes and forming an out of hours team as a direct point of contact, we were able to support keyworkers during or after late shifts. With cycle supplies running low, the team also secured stock throughout the lockdown period by building key connections in the industry. With supplies exhausted and only just starting to come back into the country, we have implemented a supplier integrated stock and ordering system. Currently, the tech team are undergoing training and will be better prepared for any future stock shortages.” Finally, Annie discusses the firm’s approach to recruitment before sharing some of its plans for 2021 and beyond. “Currently, for new personnel we are advertising locally and posting on some job recruitment platforms. Although this seems to be working well, we can always look at other options for further recruitment in the future. Moving forward, the business has a lot of room for growth with it still in its early stages. In particular, the next 12 months are key with us looking at bringing consumers click and collect, finance plans and our transition to the eBike industry.” Company: Cycle Spirit London Website: www.cyclespirit.com
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