Online Shopping Vs. In-Store Purchases

Strouble

Strouble

PR Addict
Online shopping has changed the way we shop! I have a history of being employed with Kames and am currently there part-time for the winter time! I understand the obvious benefits for online shopping where you can shop from home, get killer deals, and shipping is fast and cheap for the most part! I personally don't do any online shopping unless it is only available online! Small business makes up for the foundation of all American economics! We should be supporting a company like Kames that invests alot into our local MX scene! So, my questions are...What hold's you back from going to store and should we shop at a store instead of online? The intent is to see why these things are and what does a shop need to do to survive in today's marketplace? I love the aspect of actually dealing with someone face to face! This is relation primarily to Moto purchases!
 
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Cost, convenience, time, etc etc etc.

And I'd rather deal with a computer than someone face to face.... that way if I order the wrong part I have nobody to blame but myself.
 
I kinda figured this has come up before. Dead horse for sure then! Support our local shops, especially Kames! They sponsor alot of Moto around here and for a long time!
 
How to grow?

Do what everyone else is and get online, its 2014. The newspaper and flyer gimics dont work anymore. Now its email and social media.
 
MXCrusader617 said:
I kinda figured this has come up before. Dead horse for sure then! Support our local shops, especially Kames! They sponsor alot of Moto around here and for a long time!
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They are a ~100 mile round trip from me.. it's just not financially feasible for me to be able to support them. If they wanted to stay competitive I believe an online store would be the next course of action. After looking at their website they need some help in the IT department. Also they need to ditch the eBay store IMHO. Ebay fees add up quickly and I'm sure they are eating into the profit margin a considerable amount.
 
Ive tried to deal with local shops twice this year for different parts and both times they screwed me with it not showing up when its supposed to or one place having somethiing then not really having it when i got there.
 
So if someone wins the $1,000 shopping spree from Kames will they just not show because it cant be done online?? What the heck people support the local shops. Kames, Mid-Ohio, Honda of Marysville. All cool people that have employees that ride, not customer service idiots that have no clue. I think the biggest problem that a lot people will find after local shops close up, is that they traded the opportunity to build relationships with their local shop in order to save some money. You cant build a relationship with a company through a computer, at least not well.
 
It takes a while to build a relationship with a shop. Some guys will show up and say "I race" and expect to get a bike for free. Talk to the people. Tell them what you can do for them and then BUY something. Prove that you will purchase products and drive others to the shop. Give the person you deal with updates on your "racing" when you go back and BUY something again. Then, you will be building that relationship and the dealer will be more willing to drop the price on a bike for you the NEXT time you want to buy one.

Always remember, that shop is their livelihood. Asking them to reduce the price on anything is like asking you to take less pay per hour or per week at your job. In my 30 years of racing and buying motorcycles I have dealt with a total of 3 shops. EVERY time I needed a piston and rings or a bottle of oil, those are the only places I went and continue to go.
A lot of guys will jump ship to a different color of plastic for $100 to $300 price difference. Hell no, you are not going to get a deal. Loyalty goes a VERY long way when it comes to a good dealer.
Online shopping is OK for some items, some of the time. But if you live close to a shop, go buy something from them. Buy a set of gear, buy a top end, buy some repair work. Would you rather save $25 on a set of boots or have that outlet for our sport in your community?
They support our sport, maybe not you, but it could be your friend or the track you love to ride.
Without them we are all riding $499 Chinese crap bikes from Pep Boys.
 
I shop the local shop and use their service for some things. At the end of the day....some of the pricing is not close, and when you have three kids like me, all the money saved can be spent on other things. Plus, a lot of times a shop needs to order what you want in etc. Motosport.com has east coast and west coast warehouses, and almost ANYTHING I want or NEED can be on my front porch on Wednesday when I order on Monday. But yet the same part a lot of times is a week at the dealer.
 
dont most places price match? that would eliminate the cost excuse. i think people are just less sociable due to todays internet ways. many of these shops are real mom and pop gigs unlike some of your big mail order places. some would rather meet you face to face than just enter your card number. ive made countless friendships between kames, midwest, and hardings. thats more valuable to me than saving 10 bucks.

i will say the only things ive ordered online were stock yamaha or honda parts that i needed in a hurry, like faster than my local dealer could get them.
 
Keep in mind that if you don't support your local shop and they go out of business, it's not very convenient to order a bottle of oil or a spark plug on line. But, if your local shop is not very good, or the people that run it are *******s, then by all means order on line.
 
We've always supported Kames over the years, despite the long round trip. It usually costs me more than I bargained for as when I get there I always seem to remember that I need that and this, and that. I do like the fact that i can talk to folks that know what they are talking about and can look stuff up and find info. Shopping online is great, but once in a while I just have to go to the store, so Kames will always be on the to do list. Plus I like the fact that I'm giving to Ohio folks, and not some conglomerate 8 states away. JMO.
 
id have no problem supporting a local shop like kames. I've got several things from there on random trips there for no reason. But you have to admit that MOST local dealers are NOT very good and stock just about NOTHING these days. I cant say I blame them though because so many people go online, so its kind of a lose lose. Not every shop is as cool as Kames. Another oone I really like is Honda East.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
So if someone wins the $1,000 shopping spree from Kames will they just not show because it cant be done online?? What the heck people support the local shops. Kames, Mid-Ohio, Honda of Marysville. All cool people that have employees that ride, not customer service idiots that have no clue. I think the biggest problem that a lot people will find after local shops close up, is that they traded the opportunity to build relationships with their local shop in order to save some money. You cant build a relationship with a company through a computer, at least not well.
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No.. if you are giving me a grand I'd gladly spend my day driving to/from Kames and shopping there. If Kames was down the street I'd probably be more inclined to shop there. All those dealers you listed may be convenient for some people but in Cleveland we have limited options, and the dealers we do have I don't feel comfortable supporting. I'm not sure what benefit a 'relationship' with a local shop would bring but I'm all ears. Motosport/RockyMountain have rewards programs that essentially pay out gift cards if you spend enough.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
So if someone wins the $1,000 shopping spree from Kames will they just not show because it cant be done online?? What the heck people support the local shops. Kames, Mid-Ohio, Honda of Marysville. All cool people that have employees that ride, not customer service idiots that have no clue. I think the biggest problem that a lot people will find after local shops close up, is that they traded the opportunity to build relationships with their local shop in order to save some money. You cant build a relationship with a company through a computer, at least not well.
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I'd rather pay my local shop a few bucks more. North ridge Yamaha gets me as close to motosport as possible. And usually they aren't making more than $6 off of a part. Ill give the $6 to my Yamaha shop and hope they stay in business.


Bill, my relationship with my shop allows me to see prices at cost, bullshit about the moto world and life in general. Look up motosport parts and watch my dealer scratch his head and say my god how are they making any money??!!!
 
I prefer to support the local shops. Mainly because if something is broke on your bike and you want to go riding that day, then you can just quickly run up to the shop and get the part you need and get going. You do not have to wait on shipping most of the time and if they do a price match then that is even better. Win win
 
These online deals are gonna change big time. The govt isn't having this "no tax" on orders. January 1st we all will pay tax on everything ordered online. It might be cheaper once again to go to the dealer. . . Buy your motosport s**t now because come janairy 1st prices will increase. Amazon too....
 
GeorgiePorgie said:
These online deals are gonna change big time. The govt isn't having this "no tax" on orders. January 1st we all will pay tax on everything ordered online. It might be cheaper once again to go to the dealer. . . Buy your motosport s**t now because come janairy 1st prices will increase. Amazon too....
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What about ebay?
 
ebay is a joke anymore for sellers, I cant imagine people are going to stick around much longer. fees are ridiculous
 
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