Posts by Phil Latz
Will Your Next Competitor be a Surf Shop?
Wollongong, NSW I recently walked past the shop window of a well presented surf and ski shop and there front and centre were a couple of e-bikes. Looking inside, there were a few more on prominent display. After receiving permission from the owner, I took the two photos that accompany this article. The bikes are…
Have Your Say About How We Can Improve the Yearbook!
Wollongong, NSW For 25 years the Yearbook has been a popular information source for bicycle trade members. If you’re a bicycle retailer anywhere in Australia then hopefully you have a copy of the 2021 Latz Report Yearbook in your store. (If not, please call us and we’ll send you one!) We’re also continuing with our…
Unique Selling Propositions and Guarantees
This episode of our Marketing series looks at two important strategies for marketing your business. Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) defines in a brief summary what benefits your customers will receive when they purchase your product or service. You can’t be all things to all people. You also need to stand out from your competition.…
KWT Imports – Kevin William Thompson’s Amazing Bicycle Journey
– Sponsored Content – Yandina, Queensland Kevin William Thompson, founder of KWT Imports has been either racing or selling bikes for 71 of his 86 years… so far. He and his son Eamon who is now managing the business recently sat down with The Latz Report for a long yarn. Unfortunately, some wonderful anecdotes from…
How’s Business? November 2021
Welcome to our monthly chat with retailers across Australia and New Zealand. We all know that bike supply is tight, particularly for higher-end bikes, say anything over $2,000. But just like covid, you can get sick of hearing the same news. And of course, supply is only one of the two key factors that will…
Please Help me Celebrate 60 or Bust!
Link Sports Adds Brands and Relocates to Larger Premises
Sydney, NSW Link Sports has shifted headquarters while adding three bike brands. The company, which has served as a long-term distributor of brands including Burgtec, Spank, KS and Slikoleum, has moved to a larger warehouse in Rydalmere, NSW, while shifting its servicing and warranty support to a satellite service centre in East Maitland, NSW. Director…
How Many More IBDs will Bike Brands Acquire?
San Francisco, California, USA Are we beginning to see a wider pattern of major bicycle companies looking to ‘vertically integrate’ by buying out some of their dealers or starting new stores from scratch? Already for several years, Trek has been progressively buying dealers and in some cases starting new stores. This is USA head office…
Sponsorships and Community Engagement
‘Community Engagement’ is a sometimes misused buzzword. We define it as ‘a relational process that occurs at a local level.’ But it doesn’t just have to mean a local geographic level. You could be engaging with a community of people who have a common interest. They might even be a geographically dispersed community that meets…
If You Read Nothing Else Read This! Bike Supply… The Sequel
From conversations with various industry members over recent weeks it seems that, after a brief respite, bicycle stock supplies are tightening again – just as we lead into our busy summer season, potentially leading to a bike shortage in Australia. Right now, some of the biggest questions on most Australian bicycle retailers’ minds include, ‘When…