The Triathlon Shop in Bristol is our Business of the Week
Posted on: 01 Sep 2014The Triathlon Shop in Bristol is located next to Millennium Square in their new 9,000 sq. feet premises which opened earlier this year. If you are interested in any form of health and fitness then this is a must visit store, simply amazing. We caught up with one of the owners Jon Burrage to find out more about the Triathlon Shop.
1. When did you set up The Triathlon Shop?
I set up The Triathlon Shop with my wife, Holly, in 2010, we opened our first premises in Temple Quay, Bristol, in April 2011
2. Are you from Bristol?
No, I am originally from Shropshire, Holly grew up in Bath but we made Bristol our home 7 years ago.
3. How's business going since your expansion to the huge new outlet on Bristol Harbourside?
Business is great, we have kept our existing customers but are now much more visible and impressive to newcomers to cycling, running, swimming and triathlon. The location is great and with so many events taking place at Millennium Square the whole area is alive.
4. Tell us about your business?
We are the UKs leading triathlon specialist - we stock all sorts of bikes from kids bikes to world championship winning time trial bikes, from hybrid bikes to mountain bikes and all in between. We pride ourselves on the extensive knowledge of our respective sports and are now in a store that matches our service and range. We are the biggest running store in Bristol, the largest bike shop in Bristol and we offer the widest range of swimming clothing and accessories in the city. With state of the art facilities like the UKs only elite endless pool, 2 brand new gait anaylsis suites and a superb bike fitting studio we can not only find the right kit for you, we can make the most of your abilities along with it.
We also support lots of races around the South West and a group of keen athletes too - all of the sports we deal with are great, very inviting and are all great ways of keeping fit. We are lucky to be doing something we enjoy so much.
5. How do you find running an independent business in Bristol?
I think Bristol suffers from the same problems as most major cities - people will always go online to compare. What sets us apart from online retailers is that we do know our stuff, we are here for advice, you can try before you buy and we are generally the same price or lower anyway. Bristol has a great culture of promoting independent retailers but as we pull customers from around the country we may not feel that as much as others.
6. Where do you like to eat out in Bristol?
Because we live busy lives we tend to eat locally but that said, we are very, very lucky to have such excellent restaurants around our shop. The Cuban, Slug and Lettuce and Steak of the Art are all fantastic and I would recommend them to anyone - they also have great deals on Mondays which is really difficult to turn down after a hard days work!
7. What's your favourite place in Bristol?
We like the Frome Valley Walkway and Oldbury Court Estate - it is great to get a bit of off road running done around there and it is also very peaceful and full of nature yet easy to get to.
8. Where do you see The Triathlon Shop in 5 years time?
We are always looking to add things to what we offer - all sorts of opportunities come up in the sports industry. We do not want more outlets around the country, we do not want to dilute the quality that we offer here in Bristol. We will have a bigger team and will look to get involved in events and sports travel and holidays too.
9. What advice would you give to any aspiring Bristol small business owners?
Do your research. We spent hours and hours studying the areas that we moved to, making sure our customers would be able to find us and shop with us from day 1. If you are thinking of starting a business, go for it. Be your own boss but be prepared to put every minute into it, working in a job you love is worth the sacrifice.
10. If you were Mayor of Bristol for a day which one thing would you change?
I would change the way money designated for cycling infrastructure is spent. I would like to educate drivers and cyclists about how to drive and ride responsibly. If cyclists and drivers share the space we have, which is perfectly possible, there would be more funds for other things rather than trying to divide road users and segregate cyclists onto special paths.
Contact The Triathlon Shop at Unit 1, Building 11, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5SZ
Tel. 01179 292 711
Web. www.thetriathlonshop.co.uk
Email. contact@thetriathlonshop.co.uk