TUCKED away in a corner of Pasir Panjang Road is Passione Bicycles, a shop specialising in performance road bicycles.
Though it may look quiet from the outside, the story inside the shop is quite different. Customers constantly stream in, most of them looking for its owner, Mr Daniel Loy.
Mr Loy, who is also the captain of the national road cycling team, is well known in the bicycle community for his passion and expertise in bikes.
“Bicycles are a big part of my life,” he says, adding that he started cycling seriously almost a decade ago, when he invested $2,500 in a mountain bike.
Mr Loy also takes part in many overseas races. But despite running a busy schedule, he makes it a point to provide the best customer service.
“Because I’m in it for the sport, I can’t live with myself if I sell the bikes carelessly. I want to see people enjoy their bikes,” he says.
And his commitment has paid off. Since he opened his shop two years ago, Mr Loy has seen his customers make the transition from strangers to good friends.
His most memorable time with his customers was spent outside of work, when he organised a barbecue for them at his shop’s backyard.
“People were cooking and making a mess. It was really quite special.
“It is nice to know that you have such good friends from this business,” he says.
Negotiating deals
Apart from interacting with customers, a large part of Mr Loy’s job also involves deciding which bicycle brands and parts to carry in his store that would best fit his clientele.
Twice a year, he travels overseas to bicycle trade events, where he meets with wholesalers to negotiate distribution rights and preview upcoming products.
Even though he has experience operating an online import-export business during his university days, making inventory decisions was initially a challenge.
With the variety of choices in the bicycle industry, the amount of inventory can be overwhelming. Using bicycle saddles as an example, he explains that a brand can produce at least 10 models of that one bicycle part.
Further to that, there are at least 10 bicycle brands in the market, which would provide a hundred saddle choices for the seller to choose from, he says.
As saddles can cost up to $200 each, the amount spent stocking up on them can run into the thousands.
“And that’s just one part of the bicycle,” he adds.
Money matters
Ensuring a good cash flow to the business was also another challenge, says Mr Loy.
About a year ago, the shop was forced to move to a new place because a hotel took over its old premises.
Rental at the new store was higher and Mr Loy had to hire a new employee to help with the increasing workload. There were also customers who owed the store money.
“I seemed to be working so hard, but the company’s bank account was always struggling. I asked myself if it was worth it.
“I was on the verge of closing the store,” he says.
Then, one of his customers stepped in and offered to be a partner in his business because he believed in what Mr Loy was doing. Things started to turn around and Mr Loy found his hard work paying off.
Despite these obstacles, Mr Loy’s love for bicycles remains undiminished.
“I don’t mind putting in the hours at work because it’s my passion.”
“No matter how tough things are, you just must have some faith,” he says.
For details, visit 434 Pasir Panjang Road, log on to www.passionebicycles.com.sg or call 6778 2131.
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