ALL ABOUT BIKES LLC

East Memphis bike shop aims to attract casual riders with affordability, expertise

Victor Ghosheh and Frank Fournier believe that some of the best bicycle customers don’t wear spandex.

By keeping the prices moderate, the owners of All About Bikes hope to win over casual riders.

“Memphis is starving for an affordable bike shop,” said Ghosheh, co - owner along with Fournier. “I’m a workout freak and so is Frank and even though I could buy a $2,000 to $3,000 bike, that’s not really what I want to spend it on.

“People just want to get out and have fun now. I believe 90 percent of the population just wants a casual bike. They want to get into it and see if they like it .”

Ghosheh was the owner of another retail business, All About Pets, for 10 years until 2011 when Hollywood Feed bought all three locations.

Originally, he’d planned to travel for a year with his wife, but three weeks into retirement at age 35, he was bored and decided to open a new business.

Both Ghosheh and Fournier attend Highpoint Church where they were introduced by their wives. Fournier was an amateur bike mechanic, now certified, who saw an opportunity for a career change.

At the time he was an account delivery manager for Hewlett-packard at the naval base at Millington. Owners: Victor Ghosheh and Frank Fournier Address: 621 S. Mendenhall Phone: (901) 767-6240 Online: Allaboutbikesllc.com

“It was the only postcollege job I ever had,” said Fournier. “It was exciting and terrifying (to quit). It was a comfortable job. I had four weeks of vacation. I put all of that on the chopping block. Knowing what Victor did with All About Pets, I didn’t really feel a big risk.”

The two met just weeks before opening the store. Fournier bought into the business half an hour after applying to be a part-time bike mechanic.

All About Bikes specializes in bikes ranging from $200 to $700 though Ghosheh said they can build as highend a bike as a customer would like. Haro is the store’s main brand name. Others include GT, Asi, Phatcycle, and Sun, all of which Ghosheh said have stronger presence in other regions.

The store is also a full-service repair shop. Why the casual market? Fournier said that money is tight enough for the average cyclist that customers want a low price, but aren’t necessarily knowledgeable enough to feel confident pulling a bike off the rack at a big-box store.

“Bikes are kind of a mystery to people,” said Fournier. “They don’t know what makes each one unique, so they want a professional shop which will make them feel at ease with the purchase.”

The profit then comes from volume of sales rather than high profit margin, said Ghosheh.

“I’ve been in retail for a decade now and if I sell you a bike that is $300, I’ve made about $100,” said Ghosheh. “I feel like other bike shops want to sell you a $1,000 bike because the profit margin is much higher.”

The store opened on Feb. 13 and sold 50 bikes in their first two weeks. So far advertising consists mainly of social networking through Facebook and their website, which will list dates for free bike rides, something they hope will build a community around their shop.

They’re also counting on their signage at the corner of Poplar Avenue and Mendenhall to catch the eyes of daily commuter traffic.

Ghosheh and Fournier plan no salaries for themselves nor any employee hires for at least the first six months. Their wives are helping out in the meantime.

The shop will be closed on Sundays so the owners can get in a ride as well.

Asked about the slowly recovering economy, Ghosheh was nonchalant.

“In the pet business, we had growth every single year in the recession,” said Ghosheh. “We grew close to double digits almost every year from 2003 to 2011. People are going to spend money on things that they love. People love their pets and they love themselves.”