The Challenge
Midlands Cycles had been trading in Stone, Staffordshire for seven years, but the systems behind the shop were creating more work than they were saving. Their previous setup meant logging into multiple back offices throughout the day just to keep things moving. The workshop module was another source of admin, with the team finding that it created more work than time saved.
The website was a particular frustration. The team had very little control over how it looked or how easily they could make changes, which made it harder to keep the online shop fresh and suited to what the business needed.
For a busy bike retailer, those little jobs add up quickly. Midlands Cycles wanted a simpler setup that would save time, give the team more control and make the day-to-day running of the shop easier.
The Solution
When Midlands Cycles started looking at Saledock, one of the biggest draws was having everything they needed in one place.
The move brought their POS, inventory, ecommerce, supplier integrations, customer management, reporting and payments into a single platform. Instead of logging into several back offices throughout the day, the team could manage more of the business from one place.
Website control was a big part of the decision too. The team wanted to be able to make changes without being restricted by their previous setup, and that flexibility quickly became one of the biggest benefits for the business.
The ability to choose their own card processing provider also made a measurable difference. Midlands Cycles reduced their card transaction costs by more than 1%, while the Bikebook integration gave the workshop a much smoother way to handle bookings and bring in more service and repair work.
"I wouldn't go back to our previous system, ever. Give Saledock a go it has saved us time and money." - Michael Steele, Owner @Midlands Cycles
The Results
Once Midlands Cycles was up and running on Saledock, the benefits started showing up in the everyday running of the shop.
The move to a single back office has saved the team around six hours every week, while choosing their own card processing provider has cut transaction costs by more than 1%. For a busy retailer, those savings quickly add up.
The website has also had a noticeable upgrade, giving the team much greater control over how the online shop looks and making it easier to manage. Midlands Cycles says the website now looks much better, while the Bikebook integration has become one of the biggest benefits of the new setup.
Workshop bookings have benefited too, with the Bikebook integration bringing in more service and repair work and giving customers a simpler way to interact with the workshop.
There are still areas the team wants to improve, particularly around increasing online sales and bringing more suppliers onto the platform. They also reported seeing sales growth in-store since switching.
For Midlands Cycles, though, the day-to-day difference is already clear. The system is saving time, reducing costs and giving the team much more control over how they run the shop.
