Who shops online?

runaround

I was thinking about setting up a running store online. We would sell running shoes clothes heart rate monitors pretty much everything you'd get in the likes of a proper running store just at a cheaper price because I wouldn't have any fixed cost, no wages to pay.

I came across this site www.irishfit.eu the guy seems to work from home and doesn't carry any stock but sets up accounts with suppliers so that he can advertise online pretty much everything without having to store anything in a warehouse. The products he sells are fractionally cheaper than what you'd pay for them in a shop so I'm sure it would be easy to undercut him. I could do everything from wetsuits to runners to bikes. Once an order is placed on my site I could then contact the supplier and place the order with them. I've spoken to most of the suppliers and a lot of them are uk based but could have the order over to me in a weeks lead time.



I'm asking this question on the forum if you ordered online for runners how long would you be willing to wait for it to arrive?

Stark

runaround wrote: »

I'm asking this question on the forum if you ordered online for runners how long would you be willing to wait for it to arrive?

A week I guess.

Domer

John Buckley in Cork usually delivers in a few days. He keeps stock, so usually ships same day, and then it is up to an post as to when you get the package. A week would be fine with me as you usually dont need something that urgently. Nobody waits till there shoes are falling apart before ordering a new pair!

Having said that, the arnotts sale and the good range of running gear in Aldi is as good and a cheap as anything you will find anywhere.

If you do proceed, good luck!

Domer

tenandtracer

irishfit.eu are pretty quick, usually overnight and no more than 48hrs (admittedly I'm in Dublin). He uses couriers, which speeds thing up.

Given how quick he usually is he must carry some stock?

I'm not a big fan of buying shoes on line and prefer to buy in shops Amphibian King or Buckleys when down south.

irishfit

Hey Runaround good luck if you go ahead with this idea.
I'm delighted that all the hours of slaving away on this business has grown it to the point that people actually know who we are!
I feel I should warn you that it's not quite as easy as you suggest or else every donkey and his mother would be doing it.
While we may have started out in my house we have grown way beyond that now.
Everything listed on our website is in stock.
While stock levels do vary I never add anything new to the website until we have it in hand because while delivery from the UK purports to be 1 week, that's far from the reality. Even local suppliers can take up to 2 weeks. Distributors regularly run out of stock themselves and online buyers are increasingly expecting things right away.

We are also now a distributor ourselves for Activewrap (www.activewrap.eu) and SweatGUTR so if you do set up give us a shout and I'll be only too happy to supply you within 1 day.
Cheers
Sean

Stupid_Private

I've used irishfit a fair few times to get some obscure items that I haven't actually seen in shops before and they've always arrived well within a week (even when I was getting the items delivered to me while I was living in France). Judging by that I'd have to assume that he has the items already in stock.

To answer your original question. If I'm buying anything online I'd expect it to be shipped within 48 hours. I buy online to save time and hassle. If something is going to take longer than a week you could easily jump into town at the weekend and buy it there instead

lindab

its well and good talking baout it runaround but id like to see u set up your own buisness.irishfit seem like they are doing a very good job of it.

daveyrovers

I don't think it's as easy as just setting up deals with suppliers he does hold some stock it would be unreasonable to think he held all the stock because you wouldn't fit it in a house! He has so much stuff on the site I'm sure he has some of it but not all.

I tried ordering some Gels around about 2 months before the marathon he didn't have them in stock but I got them in www.johnbuckleysports.com in the end, same price.

--amadeus--

A part of my "real" job is to advise new start up companies and I have to warn you that it's nowhere near as easy as you might think!

Online businesses have mushroomed which means that many people see it as being an easy way to make money. In reality it is very, very hard. While you lack the fixed costs of a bricks & mortar store you will still have signifigant start up costs and overheads will not be negligible. For example you won't just be competing with Irishfit, you'll also be taking on teh likes of Wiggle and (everyones first stop) Ebay. Your website will need to be slick, well designed, easy to navigate and simple to update - for this you can assume expensive. Hosting is fairly inexpensive but marketing is ferocious - Google Adwords would be your best route but costs per clicks will be fairly high for something like this. You'll also need to run other adverts - banner ads on irish running websites and print ads in the magazines. Stands at racing expos are not free (nor are the physical do-dahs that you'll need, backdrops, posters, flyers). You'll also possibly need to look at sponsoring races and / or prizes. All of this costs money!! Without it though you won't have brand awareness and without brand awareness you won't have traffic. Without traffic you won't have customers...

And you will need to carry stock - a week (and in reality more) from the suppliers to you and then the same again from you to the end customer will probably not be satisfactory. Stock costs plus storage fees will be a signifigant investment, plus ongoing cost.

And that's before we even look at other regular costs - accountants fees will be several thousand per year (depending on the size of your business and how much is overseas related), insurance will be steep, you'll need a solicitor to sort out your T's & C's... it's usually pretty never ending!

Don't let this put you off totally. Just be careful and do some realistic research before diving in feet first!

irishfit

I think you hit the nail on the head Amadeus.
It is indeed very hard work and much more expensive than people think. To do it and keep it going requires that you have a real love for running your own business. If you want to make money there are far easier and much more lucrative alternatives and if making money is your only goal you'll give it up fairly quickly. Just look at all the sports shop owners in Ireland and see how many are driving porsches! If you have a real passion to be an entrepreneur then you'll do it because you have to.

Davey - apologies on the gels. Of all the items we have, it's usually gels we have the most of since I sell them to my running club members in the Pheonix park each weekend. Unfortunately Powerbar were out of stock themselves in a number of popular flavours for a couple of months and it was tough just trying to get any stock never mind having s surplus - particularly in the lead up to the marathon and buying months and months worth of stock isn't realistic as it has a sell by date and goes off. :rolleyes:

alwaystri

I shop for my running gear at

www.johnbuckleysports.com

and

www.amphibianking.ie

Both have stock in pretty much all the time. There's plenty of websites out there that have lots of stock on their site but don't actually hold it. I wouldn't order from these sites it ends up taking longer than a week and I don't think your idea is a good one.

trihard

Agree alwaystri, johnbuckleysports is a good online shop for the essentials. I never knew Amphibian King had the online store. They have got quite a bit up there. It beats the heck out of getting up early during christmas holiday and heading into the sales!