News

AMSTELVEEN, The Netherlands – Bike dealers in The Netherlands are installing a module within their shop’s computer systems which tracks all sales and automatically sends this data to Gfk Retail and Technology. This is a marketing services company that collects and distributes sales data on numerous industries.

It’s the ultimate dream of many marketeers in the bike business; a system that provides up-to-date, reliable and in-depth sales statistics. As such data is unavailable in any European country, the industry has to look to the rudimentary import, export and basic production statistics for bicycles announced through industry associations, usually on an annual basis.

Day-to-day retail sales numbers for bikes and bike products remain a mystery in many countries. This could change as the system currently being introduced in Dutch dealers could act as an example for the bike sector in other European countries.

The Dutch dealer system is being implemented by Gfk Retail and Technology in cooperation with a computer software supplier called Sure-IT. This company is focused on shop automation at bicycle dealers with a system called Wilmar.

The dealers that take part in the sales statistics project are having a module installed with their computer software for the automated processing of all sales transactions which are being done through the cash register. The collected data is automatically sent to Gfk Retail and Technology each month.

Dealers that participate in the project are offered the possibility to participate free of charge in the Gfk data system for bike and bike products sales, which allows them to benchmark their sales results. Through the Gfk data system the dealers are also able to track sales at other distribution channels.

Sure-IT is currently developing new computer software targeted to be used in bike shops which will be multy languaged. The new system will be launched this fall. Sure-IT intends to go international with its newest bike shop automation software.