As some of you know i work for a company which deal with the motor factors side and currently just started to do the modding side aswell.
We are looking at our shop in the mansfield area and thinking about turning it into somewhere that only deal with modders.
Some of you already know what we do, i will also be trying to make sure that the shop doesnt carry any old stock and keep upto date with the latest products.
So all i am wanting to know is whether we did this would you lot come and see what we have or would it just be a waste of time? please keep your answers serious and give me a honest answer.
Also if there is anything you would like to see us get in then just give me a shout.
i would personally say it be a good idea phil.
everyone i know would rather go to the one you work at instead of the other stores and halfords.
realistic prices and good friendly advice. and if you have the option to order what people want then it saves a lot of travelling as there aint many decent shops with (decent) modifying parts..... and if you can swing a deal with B&T it could be worth supplying kits aswell! with discounted spray and fit service....
provided maxxd members get trade discounts then i cant see it failing!
it'd be OK if you provide quality parts and stay away from the tat that makes so many car parts place look tacky.
if you deal in house of kolor im sure i can use you
I think this is a good idea and providing the prices were ok then i would use you 100%
TBF I'm dubious because most modding stores try and cater for the more common cars, Saxo's, Corsa's, 106's etc and usually just stock shite.
Lexus lights, universal filters etc, M3 mirrors etc, but then again you can't keep many vehicle specific parts on the shelf as you may not sell some items for months, I reckon your probably best leaving it to specialists. What I mean by that is I'd much rather purchase something from Envy Performance than Auto Cruise, or for example if I was after something for Fiesta I'd much rather go to Burton Power than Top Gear.
Also got to mention that most of the time now many mail order sites are doing some good prices on parts and postaging.
I've often thought about this, and to be honest it's something I've been looking in to as a project for when I come home. It depends entirely on what the target customer base is, if it's aimed at the neon washer light brigade with a comprehnsive selection of Lexus lights and silly gearknobs then I don't think it'd last long as Top Gear, Ripspeed and Auto Cruise etc already have that area covered.
My plan is looking in to setting up a business such as Envy or Sumo Power. Yes it'd be Japanese orientated, but if it's viable then there's no reason not to cater for European stuff too, but only serious kit. I think if there was a local dealer or supplier for things such as HKS, Blitz, AEM, GReddy, Cusco, Do-Luck, Whiteline etc. it'd go down a storm. I think if people were in the market for something like a boost controller or induction kit for example, they'd much rather be able to walk in to a shop and have a look at everything themselves and discuss their options, rather than seeing a picture in a magazine or on a website and picking the phone up.
As usual, the majority of these places already in existence are based down south or up north, with very little catering for us in the middle bit! I think if this sort of place was set up succesfully in Nottingham/Mansfield/Newark it'd soon have the market share of the East Midlands. There still could be mail order for those who can't be arsed, but I reckon people would be more than willing to travel to a serious performance retailer.
That's my idea anyway, now someone can steal it!
I agree really, i think there are enough places selling your aftermarket lights n stuff... And many places cannot comete with online retailers on price so it would be a lot of work for no profit..
The new Top Gear will be stocking a lot of quality performance products. We will still be stocking the usual Lexus lights, etc because there is a market for those products as well, but we are trying to cater for as many people as possible, that includes Euro, Jap, etc.
We are raising the bar with Top Gear Nottingham, and with us having Xquisite Automotive here on the same premises as well it goes hand in hand with that. Hopefully we will have a one stop shop, with everything under one roof
Will you be dealing with decent gear like HKS, Blitz and GReddy?
You're damn right we are! I am hoping to get a Supra or something similar in the not too distant future, and we have a couple of Skyline fans working for us, so yeah!
We will be stocking items such at Blitz, Chargespeed, Tein, Buddy Club, Defi, H&R, and many others, the ones listed above are the ones we have secured. We will have some items in the showroom, but obviously it is not practical to stock performance products for every make and model of car, but we will be able to supply them within a couple of days.
Mr Barrels...Keep me in mind for a job when you spawn this project
Personally i use the internet as shops cant compete with prices and as said they dont deal with top end parts..with that you need someone on the end of the PC/Phone with experiance in the gear i.e fuel mapping, boost, fitting complicated parts
Top gear/halfords/autocruise/motorworld all fall under the same bracket for me...Auto Glym and Tat!
Has everyone missed the point that tat is the stuff that keeps a business churning over like that?
A company specialising in special parts won't recieve much business if there is already a market for it. If it's a niche market which its specialises in and there is a demand for its special product then in an ideal business world it will survive. However if said shop also boosted its sales with tat and auto glym, as olly calls it, its gonna turn over a bigger revenue.
More market research is needed Mr Croyden. As about 50 ppl use this site and how many on here will need modified parts within the next 6months. I suspect less then 20%. Where are those people gonna get there parts from? IMO internet and specialists.
That's my 2p's anyway. Sorry if its not rosey
Your right teddy, some local mansfield shops pride themselves on selling crap..
And they make a lot of money doing so!!