CUSTOMER STORIES
Specialized Bikes Gets Up To Speed Quickly Managing 20x Growth With Leasecake
Background
Specialized is a large company with about 10 percent of the U.S. bike market. But the retail division deals with the same challenges every rapidly growing company encounters. “The hardest thing is getting people in place to do the jobs,” Peter said. As activity outpaced capacity, he needed software to help the team keep pace with the acquisition cadence.
Challenges
Global demand for bikes skyrocketed in 2020. But at the same time, the industry faced supply-chain issues that put the squeeze on small shops. “It’s tough for retailers who don’t do it at scale,” Peter said. “So we adopted a direct strategy in which we’re acquiring many of our existing partners.” In early 2021, Specialized had fewer than 10 retail locations. The number grew substantially by early 2022 and will pass 100 by the end of the year.
Solution
Now that he has Leasecake, Peter starts entering data when an LOI is signed. The first step is documenting utility providers. Specialized swaps utilities on up to 10 locations per week, so the team counts on Leasecake as a transition resource. That’s why Peter often refers to it as “Locationcake.”
It’s not scalable for Peter to continue adding every new location to Leasecake himself. Fortunately, he has six people providing regional operational support for the retail stores. That team is poised to take over much of the onboarding, and our Customer Success team will help with the setup and transition.
“What I love about Leasecake is that I don’t have to dig too deep. Instead, I can launch straight into the location page and see what I want to see. The interface makes sense, and I move through all my data and reports without using too much brainpower.”
Leasecake is home for everything that effectively keeps the lights on and enables our business to thrive and grow.
Peter Robson
Retail Operations Manager, Specialized
Results
Specialized has an ever-growing list of bike-shop owners who are ready to sell. These small retailers are long-time brand partners. They’re making a decision that affects not just their business but also the cycling community. Specialized doesn’t take that lightly.
“These acquisitions ultimately benefit the owner, local cyclists, and our company,” Peter said. “But we have to be careful through each step to make sure the deal works for everyone. That’s why we need Leasecake. It keeps us organized even though we’re moving quickly.”
