Opening Pro Shop - What would you want to see...

[17D1998 1]

If you have option 4, you don't need option 3.

Say what you want about t'blades, I just got tired of bad sharpening jobs. <_<

[chikinpotpie 138]

I'll echo the part about not over-extending yourself. Its easy to look at all of the catalogs and listen to all of the marketing and get caught up. Just be careful when you order because you don't want to have racks of gear that just sits there year after year.

[mickz 107]

Where exactly is this shop opening up?

[ice365 0]

What brand of synthetic ice do you use?

[Chadd 916]

I'll echo the part about not over-extending yourself. Its easy to look at all of the catalogs and listen to all of the marketing and get caught up. Just be careful when you order because you don't want to have racks of gear that just sits there year after year.

And chasing discounts. Order what you can sell, not what will get you another couple % off wholesale.

[jaahaa 0]

All I can say is Wow! Thanks for all the input! Every little detail helps. Please keep them coming. Here are some answers to your questions

Synthetic Ice EZ glide 350

We will be located in the Fraser Valley

We will have Blackstone FBV

TIA

J

[raganblink 82]

And chasing discounts. Order what you can sell, not what will get you another couple % off wholesale.

But oh! I just have to order an extra 14,230 to get that extra 1% off! I sooo need to do it! oh yeah jaahaa, ccm/rbk seems to be a in a pretty giving mood recently, so I'd look into them if you weren't considering them.

[Chadd 916]

But oh! I just have to order an extra 14,230 to get that extra 1% off! I sooo need to do it!

A lot of small shops will do it. Especially when they have to hit a higher level to gain access to certain products, delivery dates or payment terms. Spending a few extra grand to go from net 60 to net 90 is probably a good idea, assuming you can sell the product in the extra 30 days. Spending an extra ten grand on stuff you don't need to get access to certain product, that then costs you more money is usually a bad idea.

[ID Rollerpop 4]

You might consider numbering and lettering for jerseys. And I don't know how big inline is in your area but one thing that could set you apart might be hooking up with Keith and offering Sprung frames and a decent selection of wheels for those roller guys or even for the off season training crowd.

[puckhoggy 0]

i love the fact that if my LHS carries a certain brand/model of a product I like, but don;t have it in stock in a colour pattern i like, they always let me know that they can bring it in if I wish for them to do so. I've also been to other LHS where they say they'll bring it in, but there will be an extra charge for the service, which is just the ultimate turn-off, at least for me.

Like others said, nice to see actual clearance prices on older models of sticks. My LHS actual NEVER lowers older model sticks, while their partners with another store location do.

Also nice to see the synthetic ice pad sheet for ppl to use on their driveways. Looked everywhere for them when I needed 3.

[$m0k3 0]

All I can say is Wow! Thanks for all the input! Every little detail helps. Please keep them coming. Here are some answers to your questions

Synthetic Ice EZ glide 350

We will be located in the Fraser Valley

We will have Blackstone FBV

TIA

J

again where abouts? FV is a big place, because i would rather not drive out to Surrey everytime to get FBV.

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

You might consider numbering and lettering for jerseys. And I don't know how big inline is in your area but one thing that could set you apart might be hooking up with Keith and offering Sprung frames and a decent selection of wheels for those roller guys or even for the off season training crowd.

Around the Vancouver area, roller's pretty big come spring and summer. I'm converting next year.

[shooter27 117]

Definitely keep up on when model have run their lifespan. I was in a shop the other day that had a CCM Catapult V10 for its original price and when I told the owner he might want to discount it since it was 3 years old he told me, "You're nuts, thats the best stick CCM makes today."

And before anyone gets the wrong idea - I wasn't buying the stick so it wasn't a case of me looking for a deal, I was just trying to be helpful bc he seemed like a nice guy.

[ice365 0]

All I can say is Wow! Thanks for all the input! Every little detail helps. Please keep them coming. Here are some answers to your questions

Synthetic Ice EZ glide 350

We will be located in the Fraser Valley

We will have Blackstone FBV

TIA

J

A training center should have the best synthetic ice in the market today and that is the ProFast line from IcePro. I just happen to know someone who supplies it. Haha You might want to distribute it as well when you see how good it is. www.gamebreakerhockey.com has 5000 sq ft of it and they love it.

Good luck with your project, it will be fun.

[tareatingrat 4]

My opinion on things you need or should do:

-Knowledgeable staff. However, they should be decent at sales, too. Nothing worse than someone who won't leave you alone, or when nobody will help you. Find people who are good at reading the customer.

-Along the same lines, depending on the size of your store, don't follow customers around/hound them/stare at them. Keeping shrink down is important, but don't make your customer feel uncomfortable, develop your layout so it's open enough that you can keep tabs without being obvious. I can spend hours in a hockey shop debating with myself and trying different things until I make a decision. If somebody is staring at me or won't leave me alone, I walk.

-Make sure everything is priced. Nothing more annoying that not having clearly marked prices. You will lose a lot of customers because they can't be bothered to ask.

-Cleanliness is more important than most people think. Keep things organized.

-Spend some money and get a decent website. No amateur garbage. List your prices and products online, be specific and list your return/refund/price matching policies. Web presence is ridiculously underestimated by many hockey shops. I should be able to find everything I want on your website and be able to walk into your store and buy it, or purchase it online with minimal hassle. If you aren't going to start with online sales, fine, but you should still have that information there and updated frequently.

-Take care of your employees, they are the face of your store and if they're happy, they'll make you money. Be upfront and specific with them regarding any types of discounts, expectations, duties, etc. Be visible in your store, practice what you preach, and thank them often. Don't criticize unless it's constructive, and word it carefully. I'm of the firm belief that if you treat your customers well (and you obviously should), you should treat your employees slightly better.

-Don't argue with customers over little matters. If it's genuinely going to cost you a lot of money, or the customer is being unreasonable, that's one thing, and if you can explain yourself and your reasoning, most people will understand. But eating a few bucks here and there for good customers or to earn good customers is a cost of doing business.

-Offer something nobody else has. If there a lot of hockey shops in your area, give people a reason to come to your store. If I could test out sticks I was thinking of buying at a particular store around here, that's the only place I'd go.

That's about all I can think of.

[twolinepass 0]

I dislike when stores only carry one brand. The store at my rink pretty much only carries Warrior and its annoying..

[jimmy 194]

I dislike when stores only carry one brand. The store at my rink pretty much only carries Warrior and its annoying..

It's likely not their fault. Either the other manufacturers won't give them accounts or nearby competition is preventing them from getting accounts. It's pretty common in the business. I know of one pro shop in a rink whose nearest competitor was 30mi away, yet for some reason, can't open accts.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Customer service is key. Give the customer a reason to go to your store instead of going online. To be honest, prices are almost always cheaper online, but if you build good relationships with your customers, they'll come to you. For example, I always bought stuff at my LHS, but I found some 9k skates brand new for $220. I go in to get them baked and they charge me $40 for it. Also, knowing that you cant use the Pumps for 24 hours after you bake them, I asked about that, and the guys like "Huh umm dont know where you heard that, thats not true." Anyway I get pretty much everything online now. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS KEY. MAKE SURE YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE EDUCATED about the products. The one employee (same one who molded my skates) is a retard and has no idea what he's doing, sucks at skate sharpening, and it makes the shop look bad, even though the owner is a really good and educated guy.

[Chadd 916]

Customer service is key.

Sadly, that isn't true most of the time. Price is the most important thing to a majority of people. I know people that ordered skates online (and waited a week to get them) in order to save $10.

[raganblink 82]

A lot of small shops will do it. Especially when they have to hit a higher level to gain access to certain products, delivery dates or payment terms. Spending a few extra grand to go from net 60 to net 90 is probably a good idea, assuming you can sell the product in the extra 30 days. Spending an extra ten grand on stuff you don't need to get access to certain product, that then costs you more money is usually a bad idea.

You know what I meant tho :P

we're pretty small and do it all the time in order to get free freight or a higher discount if it ain't much. like for bauer holiday, we were 2 grand away from free freight. add on some one100s and TOs and we're set!

My opinion on things you need or should do:

-Knowledgeable staff. However, they should be decent at sales, too. Nothing worse than someone who won't leave you alone, or when nobody will help you. Find people who are good at reading the customer.

-Along the same lines, depending on the size of your store, don't follow customers around/hound them/stare at them. Keeping shrink down is important, but don't make your customer feel uncomfortable, develop your layout so it's open enough that you can keep tabs without being obvious. I can spend hours in a hockey shop debating with myself and trying different things until I make a decision. If somebody is staring at me or won't leave me alone, I walk.

-Make sure everything is priced. Nothing more annoying that not having clearly marked prices. You will lose a lot of customers because they can't be bothered to ask.

-Cleanliness is more important than most people think. Keep things organized.

-Spend some money and get a decent website. No amateur garbage. List your prices and products online, be specific and list your return/refund/price matching policies. Web presence is ridiculously underestimated by many hockey shops. I should be able to find everything I want on your website and be able to walk into your store and buy it, or purchase it online with minimal hassle. If you aren't going to start with online sales, fine, but you should still have that information there and updated frequently.

-Take care of your employees, they are the face of your store and if they're happy, they'll make you money. Be upfront and specific with them regarding any types of discounts, expectations, duties, etc. Be visible in your store, practice what you preach, and thank them often. Don't criticize unless it's constructive, and word it carefully. I'm of the firm belief that if you treat your customers well (and you obviously should), you should treat your employees slightly better.

-Don't argue with customers over little matters. If it's genuinely going to cost you a lot of money, or the customer is being unreasonable, that's one thing, and if you can explain yourself and your reasoning, most people will understand. But eating a few bucks here and there for good customers or to earn good customers is a cost of doing business.

-Offer something nobody else has. If there a lot of hockey shops in your area, give people a reason to come to your store. If I could test out sticks I was thinking of buying at a particular store around here, that's the only place I'd go.

That's about all I can think of.

great post. the pricing is the biggest thing not already mentioned. once in a while go around your store and make sure the tag is still on the item. I can't tell you how many times people walk on busy days when looking at gloves/shoulders/shins/elbows only to later find out there is no tag on the item.

[DolomaticDangles 13]

Sadly, that isn't true most of the time. Price is the most important thing to a majority of people. I know people that ordered skates online (and waited a week to get them) in order to save $10.

If the customer service is good enough, people will come. Plus, my LHS will normally match the price. Now obviously Im not gonna pass up $300 One95s to give the business to my LHS for $100 more, but if its close, I always offer them my business.

[puckhoggy 0]

great post. the pricing is the biggest thing not already mentioned. once in a while go around your store and make sure the tag is still on the item. I can't tell you how many times people walk on busy days when looking at gloves/shoulders/shins/elbows only to later find out there is no tag on the item.

That goes same with me. I hate going into a store and not knowing what the marked prices also hate the persistent salesman following me around. Like some said earlier, I could spend maybe 30-45 min looking at one simple item before I buy it and don't like to be hassled too much.

[Chadd 916]

When you blow out old merchandise, do it on eBay or other places online. You shouldn't condition your local customers to wait for cheap deals and every stick sold at your cost is a loss.

If the customer service is good enough, people will come.

If the prices are close enough and the service is good, most people will come. There is a large (and growing) segment of the population that will count pennies to see what is cheaper and go with that, no matter how good the service is locally.

Some shops also try and get full margins on items that are significantly cheaper online. If you can't be profitable and competitive on pricing certain models, don't order them.

[tareatingrat 4]

Yeah, I didn't want to get too much into pricing, because I don't know too much about what the costs associated with running a hockey shop are.

However, now that it's been mentioned, I would add the following:

-As for what Chadd said, he's right about pricing. I would know and shop my competition often. That way you keep abreast of prices, can remain competitive, plus you get to see their store and see what they're doing right (and what they're doing wrong).

I'm different than most, because I'll pay more to support a store I like, or for the sake of convenience (I'm not going to waste $5 in gas to save $10). However, most people are cheap as hell and will look for the best "deal," even if it's really no deal. I wouldn't be deceiving customers, but there are a lot of ways to make people think they're getting a deal without hurting your bottom line. Something as simple as a free roll of tape with a hockey stick purchase, or free laces with skates. Not saying you do it with every customer, but that's where a good sales staff comes in. Using those incentives can win over customers who aren't concerned with loyalty.

In Canada, I think you're a little safer in terms of losing customers to online options, because the e-commerce infrastructure here is awful. Online prices are almost the same, and ordering from the 'States is usually prohibitively expensive.

-As an addition to Chadd's comment about closeout pricing: Either your deals have to be good, or don't bother putting them in the store, just sell them online like he said. If your clearance prices aren't a fairly good amount lower than the new models, you're just insulting your customer. I kid you not, when the S19 came out, the S17 here at my local stores had a $20 difference. Now it's gone down a bit, but that's just a pissoff. Nobody should expect you to lose money, but look at your clearance pricing carefully and think about what you'd do if you were a customer and you walked in the store.

[iceNsteel 0]

Sadly, that isn't true most of the time. Price is the most important thing to a majority of people. I know people that ordered skates online (and waited a week to get them) in order to save $10.

Pretty much this. When I worked for Best Buy's HR department the sales philosophy was pretty simple: put out a bunch of products at the lowest price and people will buy from you. The small indy shops can treat their customers like gold, but when it comes down to it consumers will most often go with price as the sole determining factor in their spending choices. It's the Wal-Mart age of retail shopping, and low prices win out. Also, with the internet people rely less on sales staff to help them make product decisions. It's a big part of why car sales is so difficult now: people walk onto a lot knowing exactly what model and trim level they want, it's just a matter of the dealership having the car at the right price. Much less wiggle room to up sale clients.