it's their business that they finance if you dont like the prices shop elsewhere and they will go bust thats how it works .

Mark Till wrote (see)

it's their business that they finance if you dont like the prices shop elsewhere and they will go bust thats how it works .

But unfortunately in the case of Skyline and the kind of situation we're talking about that's not necessarily possible.

I don't see the inflated prices they may well charge on their items as being 'exploitation' though. to me exploitation is paying employees the lowest possible pay and providing horrendous working conditions and hours to make a huge profit and have a high turn over of unnecessarily cheap stock to detriment of all but the profiteers at the top of the pile.

Because of its location I could well imagine that not only is Skyline's rent quite high but also insurance costs, etc plus you have power and heating to take into account.. Pay may be an issue as well as it's not your easy to access highstreet shop so staff wouldn't necessarily be able to just pop down the road to work there.

And contrary to popular belief the markup on a significant number of bike related products isn't particularly high and passing trade isn't exactly great, other than those who go there specifically to ride.

I don't believe that morality comes into retail, but I believe it should. I don't have a problem treating people fairly and morally in my life, I don't see why that should be dismissed as a reasonable expectation in everyone's life.

I completely agree MSP. Why should the more closed the alternative shopping opportuinites reflect a far higher cost ?

Why should there be extreme explotation of a captive audience- I don't imagine the overheads are that much higher in most cases. The less of alternative shopping opportuinites there are always reflects a far higher cost.

On another note, I also believe the big 4 supermarkets should stop acting like playground bullies and abusing their power.  There was a program a while back, about the poor nutrional content of value ranges, with the proved change being that to increase the good stuff and remove the crap would have a insignificant cost effect to the supermarket. You can probably guess their answer.

The argument was that supermarkets should have a sense of moraility especially to those on lower budgets where they can make a difference to standard of life.

I've stopped shopping at Tesco's basically cause they represent everything that's wrong in the world. 

What did you all do before there was a shop at the centre?

Probably headed for the LBS en route, which would have caused a delay.

Thinking 'oh, I know they sell 'em there, I'll just wait' is maybe risky, but they shouldn't rip people off like BRail on a train for something that is rather important for safety reasons ...

Probably headed for the LBS en route, which would have caused a delay.

There you go. You're paying extra for convenience.

they shouldn't rip people off like BRail on a train for something that is rather important for safety reasons

It's the rider's responsibility to make sure their bike is safe to ride. If they've failed to discharge that responsibility and have to pay over the odds for something then that's not the shop's fault.

How much are pads in Skyline, anyway? I've never set foot in the shop...

Aye, but you could then justify that the cafe could be treated as a LBS if it's known for selling spares. In which case the rider assumes that it's a very convenient shop.

Again, all hypothetical arguments as I've never been there myself. Take though a hill equivalent and say they sell sold survival equipment half way up Ben Nevis at inflated prices at a cafe there. Yes, the people should be prepared beforehand, but not all humans are perfect, sometimes life gets in the way. 

I imagine they would be chastised  from more than a few organisations over this ?

Shop rental, say £500 per week, x 52 weeks=£26,000

Buissness rates £5,000 per year

Utilities,water, electric heating,  £10,000,

Insurance, £2500,

staff costs, 3 staff, at£8.00 per hour x 39 hours x 52 weeks = £48,672 per year,

Manager £20,000

Total cost £112,172

 Divided by 52 weeks=£2157 per week, they have to make as a profit, every week to stay solvent, then we have stock and shop fittings to buy,bank charges, visa machine rental,sick pay,theft and shop lifting costs, maintance,cleaning, stationery, etc etc.

Then youve got customers who moan about paying a couple of quid over the mail order price for the convenience of having the stuff in the middle of a forest.

Then theres theft,shoplifting, damaged stock,etc.

I imagine they do operate on a very tight budget SB, and was playing devil's advocate to a certain degree regarding them.  However, I have often wondered at the economics of pricing yourself out of the competitive market and targetting only the desperate purchaser.

Would not reducing costs make more profits in the long term if you are not known as explotive ?  Obv there would then be other factors then to take into consideration, such as more purchasing/storage and the like.

I am more likely though to buy two brews at a pound than one at 1.50 y'know ?

Not internet prices, they charge above rrp for brake pads, and lets face it rrp is an already inflated price to allow shops to look like they are giving a discount.

Like as already been mentioned it looked a pretty busy shop to me, and I would expect the costs to be lower than  those associated with running a bike shop in any major town or city.

I would expect the costs to be lower than  those associated with running a bike shop in any major town or city.

I'm not sure why that should necessarily be the case. Which specific costs would be lower? I suspect that FC/Glyncorrwg Ponds aren't giving the place away in terms of rent. Electricity and stuff costs the same everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if they had to pay above-average wages to get decent staff out there. And it doesn't look all that busy on a wet Tuesday in February...