Retailers giving discount to those arriving by bicycle

[Phil_Lee]

If Tesco can give 5p/ltr off hydrocarbon fuel, they shouldn't have any problem giving cyclists an equivalent percentage off cycling goods.

Not much point in non-cyclists sneaking that reward on the sly, so not much need to police it.

Of course, the direct equivalent would be to give us C4% off carbohydrates, but that would need more policing.

Maybe if there was one voucher, which could be redeemed either for hydrocarbon or carbohydrate, it would work.
You can bet the car-addicted would go for the fossil fuel, instead of the fresh stuff.

[CJ]

Visitors to National Trust's Snowshill property, if arriving on foot or by cycle, get a 50p voucher to spend in the cafeteria.

Maybe supermarkets could give a token for 50p off a box of five Geobars - or whatever may be "Energy Snack of the Week".

[thirdcrank]

Perhaps the point of the Tesco 'Every litre helps' is that you have to spend £50 to qualify. So if you spend £50 and buy approx 50l of petrol at currently approx £1 a litre they would have £100 turnover for a discount of £2-50. When you compare the magnetic effect of a couple of quid off a tankful of petrol with the discounts offered by some shops to attract customers, it looks like a good wheeze to me. They're not doing it to encourage motoring, although it may have that effect. They want to attract what they see as affluent customers. (I have read the research that says that cyclists are big spenders but I don't run a supermarket chain.)

[gbnz]

A rather old thread, but relevant :!.

While my local Sainsburys has excellant cycling facilities (Sheffield stands in full view of the cashiers, under a wide & dry roof extension area), I'm invariably awarded a miserly 1 nectar point, for reusing bags. This despite the fact that all my shopping is done by bicycle, using 40 litre Ortlieb Panniers, saving in the region of 2000-3000 bags per annum. Just been awarded quite a substantial number of nectar points, having had an email dialogue with customer services over the past couple of weeks

All that's needed now, is an instruction to the security guards that despite carrying Ortlieb panniers around store with me, I'm not a shop lifter . It used to amuse me to find security hovering at my elbow as I browsed the apple display; it's definately become tiresome

[CREPELLO]

Just imagine if the supermarkets were to attract substantial numbers of shoppers cycling, they wouldn't need all that expensive real estate, known as the car park. They could sell it off then. For allotments!
Well, I can always dream...

[Phil_Lee]

Why not just give customers a choice at checkout time of either a voucher for 5p off per litre of petrol or whatever the cycling discount voucher would be. I wouldn't expect motorists to opt for the cycling discount in preference to the motoring one, and the motoring one is of little use to utility cyclists (and doesn't make any difference to the supermarket either way in any case), so it's self policing.
Maybe just alter the schedule lightly so that cyclists can get benefit more easily from smaller and more frequent purchases, instead of having to spend £100 in one go to get the full discount - it's hard to carry that amount by bike.

[snibgo]

5 bottles of whiskey or 400 bars of chocolate. Hmm, there's an interesting choice.

[alicej]

I've worked in a couple of small independent shops, and I reckon most places should be able to offer a 10% discount, maybe not to be used with any other offer, or perhaps not including goods already offered at a "sale" price.

Point out that if they put some small bike-related item for sale near the tills they'd probably get plenty of impulse buys which would make up this 10% in additional sales anyway, e.g. a decent map of the local area, or an energy bar/flapjack, warm gloves, bottled water, set of allen keys, reflective stickers, whisky, etc, depending on the shop.

Definitely ask the Co-Operative Society in your area, as well as any small independent retailers as they have the power to decide what they will do in their stores. For chain stores you'll have to approach head office as the store managers often don't have authority to decide on this kind of thing themselves. Large stores may have CCTV outside which will show people arriving by bike - certainly in my local Tescos a security guard sits just inside the door watching the cameras all the time because they catch so many shoplifters this way, so they'd be able to clearly see anyone parking a bike outside. Should be true of lots of Co-Op stores too I think.

Wonder if Greggs would do a seasonal bike-shaped gingerbread thing for bike week?

[gbnz]

Point out that if they put some small bike-related item for sale near the tills ................. whisky, etc, depending on the shop.

?

Can't say I'd normally regard whisky as a bike related item

[Tonyf33]

A rather old thread, but relevant :!.

While my local Sainsburys has excellant cycling facilities (Sheffield stands in full view of the cashiers, under a wide & dry roof extension area), I'm invariably awarded a miserly 1 nectar point, for reusing bags. This despite the fact that all my shopping is done by bicycle, using 40 litre Ortlieb Panniers, saving in the region of 2000-3000 bags per annum. Just been awarded quite a substantial number of nectar points, having had an email dialogue with customer services over the past couple of weeks

All that's needed now, is an instruction to the security guards that despite carrying Ortlieb panniers around store with me, I'm not a shop lifter . It used to amuse me to find security hovering at my elbow as I browsed the apple display; it's definately become tiresome

I tend to hook my pannier bag off the end of the basket, never had any security in my Sainsburys giving me the evils...lol. Rather more annoying though is the stupid self serve machines that still require someone to authorise the bag/s you're putting down and god forbid if you try to move one when it is full because the space isn't big enough for two full pannier bags I think I'd rather have a small discount on the whole amount of my shopping as a reward for cycling in.
Think I might ask about the extra points as a regular cycling shopper too

[alicej]

Point out that if they put some small bike-related item for sale near the tills ................. whisky, etc, depending on the shop.

?

Can't say I'd normally regard whisky as a bike related item

Yes it is! And a small hip flask.

[gilesjuk]

Some whisky is only good for degreasing chains

As for this cyclist discount idea. If you have a cycling GPS unit you can show them the GPS log as proof of your journey. I think the speeds would prove you weren't in the car, I don't think you'd make many friends driving at 15mph average.

[Flinders]

I haven't tried it myself, but check out this at the RAF museum at Cosford.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/plan-your-day/

They say if you visit the museum by cycle they'll give you a fee drink in the cafe.
Admission to the museum is free to everyone, but they charge for car parking.

That seems a very good deal for cyclists.

I must get down there sometime and see how it works. The museum is great, according to the reports of my friends.

[james01]

I've come across the reverse of a discount. We arrived at a country show farmers' market (me,wife + 2 kids=4 bikes). We were charged the pedestrian entry rate. The man at the turnstiles said we'd have saved £4.50 if we'd arrived in one car !

[meic]

Same on the cross channel ferries, taking the family in the car with the bikes on the back is lots cheaper than cycling on to the ferry.