CYCO, a high-end bike shop in Auckland, sought help from Tactical.ly to transform into a modern business with a focus on providing better customer experience and building internal efficiencies. Tactical.ly provided an eCommerce platform that increased revenue, improved service offering, and provided customers with a way to book same-day turnaround bike services online. This resulted in large-scale increase in internal efficiency, improved customer experience, and significant revenue growth. Tactical.ly also provided comprehensive consulting services to enable continued growth and CYCO has now become a leader in the cycling industry.

A complete digital transformation

CYCO has been operational since 1993. It is now a high-end bike shop in Kingsland, Auckland, run by all-round good bloke Darren Murray. Since Darren took sole charge of the shop, CYCO has continued to improve and reform their customer service, bike service and retail offering. However when the Covid-19 lockdowns hit, Darren quickly realised how far behind they were in terms of digital experience, eCommerce and customer experience with a digital-first mindset. They engaged with Tactical.ly to transform them into a modern business, with a focus on providing better customer experience and building internal efficiencies. They were excited to work with Tactical.ly both because of our digital performance skillset and our deep love of cycling.

Tactical.ly delivered a complete digital transformation for CYCO Bike Shop, including an eCommerce platform that would increase revenue, improve service offering, and provide customers with a way to book same-day turnaround bike services online. The result was a large-scale increase in internal efficiency, improved customer experience, and significant revenue growth.

In addition, Tactical.ly provided a comprehensive consulting service to enable continued growth. This included helping CYCO to identify and adopt best practices, optimise processes and operations, and implement digital strategies. This resulted in large scale internal efficiency gains, which enabled CYCO to reduce costs and increase profitability.

Benefits beyond the obvious

The new eCommerce platform allowed CYCO to service a much great customer base than they had previously been able to reach when they were a bricks and mortar store only. With their digital platform in place, they have been able to make it easier for existing customers to buy products, book in for bike services, and even book bike fits. This has led to increased revenue and improved customer experience (CX). It also enabled CYCO to move reduce time and energy in taking service bookings over the phone, streamlining operations and making it easier for customers to schedule service visits to suit them.

Tactical.ly integrated bookings with an internal management system that allows CYCO to easily manage capacity, time off for the team, and to control their workflow, ensuring they can always service their customers in the timeframes promised. With this reduction in operational time, they have turned their focus to even faster bike turn-around time, better in-store support and developing new, innovative ways to add value to their customers, all strengthening their CX even further.

The end result of Tactical.ly's work was a successful digital transformation for CYCO. They now have a modern eCommerce platform that is driving sales, that has enabled improved customer service and online bookings, and that has increased internal efficiency, all allowing them to be more profitable and streamlined. CYCO has begun to capitalise on the digital revolution, and become a leader in the cycling industry. Through working with and learning from Tactical.ly, Daren is now in a position to take on more and more of the innovation leadership and deployment at CYCO. Most importantly, CYCO is robust, in that desired high-performing state, and able to navigate distresses such as pandemics(!) or any other bumpy roads (without any punctures).

Tactical.ly still acts as a consultant to CYCO. Together we continue to optimise and improve every aspect of CYCO to ensure they remain a world leading bike shop from here in New Zealand.

Lessons for success

Trying to navigate the digital space and develop a digital-first and high-performing shop was beyond Darren’s original skills (and time), but that didn’t mean it wasn’t necessary. Getting help from Tactical.ly meant that CYCO not only effected a successful digital transformation, but it was able to do so in a way that positively impacted every part of the business, beyond just the retail side. Hiring external expertise to support you in a digital transformation may well surprise you in terms of just how quickly change can happen, and what the overall effects can be.

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