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Why the Eurobike 2022 has been so successful!

The premiere of Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt am Main is in the books. We look back on five intense days in the banking metropolis. Our short conclusion right up front: the new trade show concept and the new location are firstly a milestone and secondly a real success factor.

Think Big!
If you are familiar with the small atmosphere and short distances at the former trade fair center in Friedrichshafen, you will be ‘beaten to death’ at first in Frankfurt. Long footpaths at the trade fair, several levels and what feels like a jumble of (escalator) stairs and long corridors. But one thing becomes clear right away, here everything is and must be thought a bit bigger. This is exactly the path that our industry has taken in recent years and that we must continue to follow. The bicycle is the future. We as an industry must think confidently and big and act accordingly. The popularity of the customer days and the capacity utilization of the outdoor and test area clearly show that demand for bicycles, accessories and bicycle-related services remains at a high level. And our conversations with dealers and manufacturers also confirm this: high demand, unfortunately with the current shortcoming of the sometimes faltering supply chains and lack of materials for post-production. But let’s be honest: Fortunately, this is more of a luxury problem.

Change of location factor
So what significance has the change of location brought to the show? In our eyes, the platform that the trade fair (city) of Frankfurt am Main offers clearly lives up to that of a leading international trade fair. Also in terms of external perception, the bicycle industry can present itself more confidently and significantly in Frankfurt. Internally noticeable: better accessibility, especially for international visitors, and more space and possibilities on and around the exhibition grounds. All in all, the change of location was a real milestone in our eyes.

How did it go for Smartfit?
We went into the five days of the fair really positive and our expectations were even exceeded. Great discussions and an openness for the topics of sizing and fitting that we have not experienced in this way in recent years. You can see that many retailers are really thinking about how they can refine their customer journeys and want to raise their own service to a new level. All in all, we experienced an industry that is really up for the event and the upcoming model years and innovations.

Trends that we can identify
One trend is clearly service – dealers and manufacturers increasingly want to offer their customers added value that goes beyond the pure product and is aimed directly at the fun on two wheels. That’s also exactly our thing – promoting the joy of cycling. Service bonuses and further consulting offers such as sizing or fitting in specialist stores and online are experiencing a real boom. The next trend that we have noticed more and more: Individualization. End customers want a solution that is tailored to their needs. Whether it’s a complete wheel or accessories – everything should be optimally tailored to their own needs. Here, too, sizing solutions are key, because only those who sit properly on the right bike will enjoy it. A subliminal trend is cross-sector solutions and orientations. We noticed it before and then clearly at the trade show: The reorientation of companies from the automotive industry, for example, which are now also entering the sale of bicycles with verve, is clearly noticeable. The future is obviously increasingly riding on two wheels.

Meet us at Eurobike

Only a few weeks to go to this year’s Eurobike premiere in Frankfurt. We are looking forward to your visit. We will be glad to show you all the (new) features of our systems. Make your personal appointment with us at our booth – just click the button below and choose your preferred date.

Optimization by formula update

New year, optimized formulas

Our bike industry is changing, with everything that goes with it: new concepts, new bike categories and uses, and above all new needs. Also in our field of expertise, bike geometries and seat positions have changed. Therefore, we have modified our Smartfit algorithms in the crucial places.

We have informed you via newsletter and in our Helpscout article. Take a look.

New Team Power

We have expanded again and would like to introduce you to our new colleagues Stefan and Jonas.

Stefan Brencher (left) joins our sales and marketing team. He will explore new concepts and possibilities that optimize our joint collaboration and interaction.

Jonas Ebbecke (right) will let the keyboard smoke and fully dive into bike geometry data and sizing. He will make our databases faster and smarter.

Welcome to our team!

Eurobike 2021 is coming

Eurobike – last time in Friedrichshafen

Finally Eurobike again and even with a ‘goodbye’. The move from Friedrichshafen to Frankfurt is imminent. We are curious to see whether the last time around Lake Constance will really go off again.

There is definitely something to see at our stand, we are back in the Foyer West (FW-200) right next to the entrance. Our new recommendation engine for online shops is especially worth a look.

New team member Adrian Horchler

We are very happy to introduce Adrian Horchler as a new team member. Adrian joins our sales department and will support our customers worldwide. He will also focus on our video marketing to present our systems and provide online trainings.

Adrian is mountainbike pro and participant of last years marathon world championships. He brings along a great bikefitting expertise and has worked for our Radlabor-labs in Freiburg and Munich.

“We are very proud to win Adrian for our Team. He comes with dedication for cycling and bikefitting and will take us any further.”, says Smartfit CEO Björn Stapelfeldt.

New contactless Workflow

Biking is getting more and more important. We see it on our streets and paths. Lots of people are using the bike for transfers and for a welcome change outside. Performance numbers of online bike-shops are increasing.
Positive news for our bike-business. This need creates opportunities for us all.

To support the business, we were not inactive. We organised a bunch of meetings and trainings. And our devolopment department created a new contactless workflow for our Smartfit software. The workflow is already integrated within the last update.

And there is another new feature: The update includes the possibility to install the software on four PCs and free of cost. So you can work contactless out of your home-office. Contact us for the download and access data.

Contactless sales & service with Smartfit now!

Dear Smartfit family, 

We know how the Covid-19 pandemic affects your turnover. We feel the same way. Our Radlabor branches are closed too. However there are chances to face these hard times. Smart ideas, pragmatic and fast acting are now required. There is a NOW and there will be a BEYOND. We have to prepare ourselves and act with a hands-on mentality to get rid of the struggle.

There is a big benefit in the most countries: The bike market and service is classified as system-relevant by governments like here in Germany. Science and politics recommend to use the bike for short and required distances. That can be our handle for all the bike-business.
 

Contacless sales & service, how does it work?

With our Smartfit systems there are two options:

1. Contactless via phone or video-call with the Smartfit software

Instead of doing the measurement at the point of sale you can do it with your customer also via phone or video-call (i.e. Skype/Zoom…). Some ‘closed’ bike stores have already converted their service and sales activities like that and are using the Smartfit software successfully.

We assist you personally and show you how to interact in a contacless service situation via phone/video-call/Chat. We are working to present you as soon as possible some (video) guidances  for you and instructions for customers how to do a self-measurement.
Do you need some assistance now? Don’t hesitate to contact us via e-mail: info@smartfit.bike

2. Online in your webshop

As owner of a performing webshop you clearly have an advantage. More and more customers inform oneselves online at present. Soon there will occur the question of the right frame size. Our Smartfit Online Sizing tool takes the individual body measures and translates them into an accurate frame size recommendation of the desired bike, all based on its actual geometry. This customer-centered solution can be integrated into an online shop system with very little effort in only one day. The digital sizing closes a gap in online bike retail and has proven to be the top frame size tool world wide.

More information about the tool here: www.onlinesizing.bike 

Black Friday Madness

Die Zahlen am Black Friday sprechen für sich: Unser Smartfit Online SIZING wurde am umsatzstärksten Verkaufstag des Jahres weltweit 50.000 mal geklickt. Das bedeutet 50.000 zufriedene Kunden, die jetzt die exakte Größe für ihr Traumrad wissen.

2 Million Online SIZINGS in the first half of 2019

Our e-commerce tool the Online SIZING hits the mark. In the first half of 2019 we reached the tremendous number of 2.000.000 Online SIZINGS. Every SIZING shows online-customers according to their anatomy the correct frame size just on the article-page. The kicker: the size recommendation is based on the individual anatomy and the specific frame geometry. In e-commerce parlance: minimize customer uncertainty, lift conversion rate, avoid return delivery.

This number of 2 million SIZINGS approves our assumption: the Online SIZING tool serves one of the main customer requirements when looking for bikes online the individual certainty to choose the correct bike size. With the Online SIZING confusing geometry spreadsheets and blanket size recommendation become history. The widget can be placed just on the article page and is customizable regarding the shop design. No redirection on geometry charts means certainty for the customer and increases the conversion rate.

We are proud to reach this benchmark number and are motivated to keep working hard to enhance the e-commerce market for customers and shop owners.

All information regarding the Online SIZING here: https://www.onlinesizing.bike/