Thursday, 28 March 2024
News

COREBike preview: The Bicycle Association seeks to engage more retailers in MDS

The Bicycle Association will take to COREBike later this month to reveal adaptation and improvements to its data service, including the reveal of a redesigned dashboard and the introduction of a new ‘super user’ access paired to an API feed of house metrics for heavier data users.

In 2022, the BA started putting the building blocks in place to migrate to the second iteration of the service, MDS 2.0. In simple terms, MDS2.0 means:

  • BA members and Investors in Cycling will be able to access a new “Freeview” MDS reporting suite on the BA website alongside a whole host other helpful resources
  • Data will be moved into “the cloud” so that more sku’s and retailers can be added without any reduction in service
  • New data sets like imports, weather and cycling usage stats will be added to MDS to find more ways to understand what’s going on and spot new opportunities
  • A new redesigned dashboard will be launched that is easier to use and quicker to get to the big opportunities for your business
  • Adding in new sub-categories in areas such as tyres and wheels, e-bike batteries, kids bike breakdowns, stock analysis for IBDs and more localised regional analysis.
  • A new super user access level for subscribers who want maximum flexibility on analysing the data alongside their own internal data via an API feed.
  • Non-subscribers will now be able to buy Full Market reports and single category reports from the BA website.

How does access to data help?

By understanding and adapting to customer trends as they have evolved during an incredibly unusual period, but also by identifying areas of underperformance compared to the market and making changes to close the gap.

The service takes ePos sales data from retailers on a monthly basis, and turns this into anonymised data at total market level, category and sub-category level, looking at value, volume and average selling price performance. Retailers who contribute their data access a free basic level of analysis in return, or half price access to the full product.

The BA will be demonstrating the MDS system in room S27. In the meantime retailers wishing to participate can email the trade body here.

CyclingIndustry.news’ 2023 market report 

For those wishing to complement the BA’s existing sales data reporting with forward looking forecasting from hundreds of UK bike shops, CyclingIndustry.news’ annual market report will soon publish a fifth edition.

This week marks the final days for bike shops, workshops and mobile mechanics to pitch into CyclingIndustry.News’ study for 2023, a report that is gained by those participating upon completion. If your business is UK-based you may still do that here until February 5th.