Around the Workstand

Prices for products displayed on websites are a topic we frequently discuss both internally and with Workstand website users. Rather than a deep dive into advanced troubleshooting methods, today, we will point out the main sources of the prices displayed and the easy solutions to explore. Beyond that, our Client Success Team is always ready to help. Point of Sale data Custom Prices tool Workstand...

Mark Still and Alex Slocum, Workstand's Director of Product, discuss the current state of AI and its effect on consumer behavior, shopping, and the continued (growing even) advantage of local retail. Most people hear or even say ‘AI’ daily - what is AI now and what is it not? LLMs defined LLMs as a business leveler The opportunity for the bike industry  Product discovery has always changed an...

We're not saying it doesn't take a focused effort or real work. What we are saying is that many of the barriers that local, independent bike shops continue to believe rule them out of meaningful sales growth are no longer valid. Workstand has the tools and expertise to help every bike shop, from the local, owner-operated store to the multi-location, high-revenue operation, leverage onlin...

Google Local Product & Awareness Ads are some of the best levers we have to capture both high-intent shoppers who are ready to buy the products in stock on your floor now and people simply looking for a bike shop for service or answers to general sales questions. Our four-person ads team, led by today's guest, Matt Viara, has decades of bicycle retail and Google ads experience. They can h...

We delve into the mission behind the livestream, which will offer clients an engaging medium to explore topics that impact their retail operations and learn how Workstand can help them facilitate growth.  The first monthly session, on March 17th at 9:30am MDT, is set to focus on landing page content and the page editor, combining the "how-tos" with the reasons behind their importance in...

As we approach spring 2026, thinking about the product mix in-store and online can make a huge difference in a local bike shop's success as prime riding weather returns to many parts of North America. What are your potential customers searching for online? What would they buy with that new bike if only you had it in stock and in front of them before all of the excitement of new bike day fades...

We saw a wide variety of results for the stores we talked to and met with during 2025. The usual factors were in play - weather, geography, brands, staffing, etc - so we’re not sure how helpful the industry-wide, in-store sales data are as a reference point, so we’ll just say we heard it all. It felt like our stores had solid results in-store overall based on our conversations. There were certainl...

For a bulk of the country, winter brings a sharp drop in temperatures, and predictably, a dip in bike sales. It’s easy to slip into "Winter Mode": reduced staff, decreased hours, and a collective deep breath until spring. But here’s the reality check: You don't have to endure the off-season; you get to conquer it. This slower period is not a negative to survive—it’s a powerful, dedi...

Think about the last time you bought something important. Chances are, you didn't just walk into a store blind. You probably did some online research first. In fact, 83% of consumers now conduct research online before ever setting foot in a physical retail location. This means your website isn't just a digital brochure—it is, more often than not, the first impression a customer has of yo...

Workstand provides many tools and resources to help your website stand out and to help it be a great resource for shoppers and other cyclists researching their local cycling community. In this episode, we talk about 4 ways to improve the look and feel of your site, from DIY with the help of our Client Success team, all the way to full custom design projects. Help Center - Theme Editor and Page Edi...

Two of the more common questions, especially from stores that are new to the Workstand platform, are ‘what are the keys to selling more?’ and ‘what are the really successful stores doing to grow?’. Generally speaking, a shop needs to have four elements to generate revenue.  These four elements work together, and missing just one can kill growth. Products that are in demand - Shops need to have pro...

Taking a moment to reframe some thinking that evolved negatively from brick and mortar processes, and that should be thought of as growth opportunities these days. Shipping costs aren't just a dead expense. They can be a tool for strategic growth and customer satisfaction. Read more in this blog post Shipping Best Practices Your shipping out expense should be considered a marketing expense, a...

Julie Walsh, Account Manager and Marketing Strategist from the Workstand Marketing Agency Team, joins the podcast to talk about successful strategies for sales success during the 2025 holiday season. Julie has also published a new blog post with even more details and additional resources to help you grow sales in a challenging and competitive market. The high-level tips are: 1. Look through the ey...

Key Accounts Advisor, David Martinez, works with Workstand merchants to improve many aspects of in-store and online sales execution to grow sales while increasing margin. Inventory management is an important part of David's work with bike shops. As we’ve brought on more dealers to the Digital Advisor Services program, some trends have emerged, offering useful tips for other stores. Obvious, y...

It's time again to review the data and metrics from the Workstand platform and talk about what we can learn from sales across our platform.  August Workstand platform metrics Ecommerce sales saw another month of double-digit growth on Workstand.  Online order volume was the strongest it’s been all year , with a YOY increase of 8%, with 20,459 orders being the highest volume of any month this...

Matt Lolli came to Workstand after a long career working in successful bike shops. Matt works with brands and suppliers who want to use Workstand technology and services to support local bike shops in growing sales and better serve their customers. Here’s a high-level overview of Brand & Supplier services that we’ll be discussing in detail later in the episode.  Why do brands and suppliers cho...

Ryan has again been on the move. Visiting Workstand team members and merchants in Oregon recently. He'll be here in Colorado soon! July Platform metrics Total online sales last month showed a recovery from the slowing trend of May and June, which was a likely hangover from the pre-tariff burst in March and April.  Total order volume and units sold were relatively flat, but higher average orde...

Mark is joined this week by Matt Viara, leader of the Workstand paid Google ads team. What are paid ads? How do we help bike shops participate in paid Google programs? What are the costs and benefits? We talk about all of that! We give a high-level overview of our paid ads programs and touch on the 4 offerings that we’ll discuss in detail during the episode. Why Local and Full Service? What is pro...

Boulder visit Doggy happy hour Coffee Bike ride PFB let me work from their office Upcoming BRAIN article about scheduling software Service Appointment Scheduling feature (drop off) WorkstandIQ staff scheduling NBDA State of the Industry webinar reinforces our value The recent National Bicycle Dealers Association hosted a webinar with expert guests, with a lot of time spent talking about what succe...

Ryan and Mark discuss results from May, with a quick note on the strong March and April numbers that we didn't get to talk about due to Ryan's many travels when we'd normally record an Around the Workstand episode. We mention this recent episode with our Key Accounts Advisor, David Martinez, and the Digital Advisor Service he's offering Workstand clients NBDA Summit recap A goo...

The idea of leveraging catalog-enabled websites and ecommerce to grow sales beyond a retailer's home market is one of the main reasons Workstand has so many bike shops using our platform. In addition to the website platform, Workstand's marketing agency team helps more than 400 stores manage their digital presence and promote their store locally and nationally. As our Key Accounts Adviso...

Ryan Atkinson has continued his travels and brings us the latest in how brands, suppliers, and merchants in bicycle retail are feeling during some uncertain times. There are bright spots and some optimism, particularly among retailers.  Themes from industry events Bicycle Leadership Conference (suppliers) NBDA Retailer Summit (both) - join the Midwest event in Bentonville in May CABDA West (both)...

In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of conducting successful promotions, a pivotal segment in our ongoing year-long marketing program aimed at empowering businesses. We focus on strategies that not only help retailers remain competitive but also enhance customer engagement, particularly as we approach the prime spring sale season. Our discussion emphasizes that promotions extend beyond...

Ryan is back with us after some travel, but he's not done yet! There are a few more trade shows and industry gatherings on the horizon, and he'll be presenting at most of them. We talk about those shows and the state of the bicycle industry, and the vibe and attitude of the dealers Ryan is meeting at shows like CABDA. CABDA Midwest Split, dealers looking to diversity with ecommerce growt...

We continue our series on marketing your business for sales growth in-store and online in 2025 with tips on website and marketing setups that make shopping your online store easier and reduce purchase friction, For more details, check out our latest blog post - https://blog.workstand.com/make-shopping-easy Design - minimal clutter, accessibility  Make it easy for shoppers to find what they are loo...