For local bike shops, the modern business climate can often seem like a nonstop climb. In the face of constant change, it’s more important than ever for independent dealers to find a competitive edge that empowers them to meet the cycling community wherever they are: in-store, online, on the road, and on the trails. In an effort to provide this edge, The Bike Cooperative is excited to announce major changes focused on helping America’s independent bike dealers leverage national scale, drive store traffic, make more money, and learn from the industry’s best.

The Bike Cooperative’s renewed effort to connect the local bike shop with the tools and innovations they need to compete begins with welcoming Lindsay Gaskins as President. As a leader of entrepreneurial ventures with deep experience in retail, start-ups and strategic consulting, Gaskins brings the co-op a blend of experience and perspective perfectly suited to help independent bike dealers face the challenges of a changing industry. Gaskins comes from the Independent Retail space where she was CEO of Marbles: The Brain Store; a chain of 45 specialty retail locations across the country.

Regarding her appointment, Gaskins says, “My goal is to help bike shops use their own power—their “localness”, to drive their competitive advantage while supplying them the tools and services to operate like they have all the national expertise of a national company.”

As part of its push to make member shops across the country more competitive, The Bike Cooperative has also announced new­­­ partnerships with Retail Toolkit, The Mann Group, and People for Bikes. As Gaskins explains, these new partnerships connect independent bike dealers with the technology, training, and community resources created to help them thrive and grow with the changing industry, not despite it.

Regarding the many changes being introduced by The Bike Cooperative, Gaskins added, “This is just the start of the race and we’ll be seeking other ways to get the industry to cooperate to win.”

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About The Bike Cooperative

The Bike Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative of nearly 300 independent bike retail locations across the U.S. Our mission from day one has been to help successful bike stores become more profitable and enable them to get more people on bikes in their communities. Learn more at TheBikeCooperative.com or email [email protected] for more information.