“These Garfields are so adorable!” passerby gleefully uttered. Grumpy Exotic Shorthairs were spot lounging at the entrance of the shop. You must be wondering, why are these cats sitting in a bike shop? You are right, Cycling Malaysia visited a pet cum bike shop in a small town in southwestern Sabah, Beaufort. Meet Robin Chung, a mountain biker, cycling coach, owner to three Golden Retrievers, a Shih Tzu, a Toy Poodle and more than 10 cats.
MORE THAN JUST A BIKE SHOP
As a cyclist, I know what the cyclists want. Likewise, as a pet lover, I aim to satisfy needs for them.
Situated opposite Beaufort Train Station, the ambience in the shop was welcoming, so were the faces. But you won’t find any repair area or tool, except an assortment of mountain bicycles, accessories, components, as well as cats and pets supplies. The airy room is filled with items that are frequently called for in the town.
Cycling has always been Robin’s favorite thing to do. He started riding mountain bike back in 2015, at the same time initiated an online business. Having involved with the bicycle industry for several years prior to opening a bike shop, he knew all the excessive brands that he wanted to make available to the cycling community in Beaufort.
Industry knowledge is vital. Robin strongly agrees that if you plan to launch a business in a certain industry, you have to know best of what is happening.
To begin with, he made the first move selling bicycle products through Facebook. He has always known there are a lot of responses on the site. In addition, the number of people looking for bike parts are incredible. It has since snowballed into a total omni-channel operation. Due to Facebook’s accessibility and convenience, Robin has stocked up specialty products and he offers a huge array of items for his customers.
Started as a humble seller, eventually his business has grown into a mount. Throughout the years, he has learned so much by studying cyclists’ needs and the trendy bicycle products in the market.
FOR THE LOVE OF CYCLING AND PETS
Other than cycling, Robin is also a pet lover. Personally, he keeps different breeds of dogs and cats. Due to his affection for pets, he shares a common interest with people who love pets as much as he does. Therefore, opening a pet shop and providing pet supplies and grooming services to customers were his main intentions.
The upsurge in the popularity of cycling in Beaufort is on its way to becoming a cycling utopia, hence merging his pet and bike shop seemed to be a right decision. In 2016, bringing in bicycle products was made happen. “As a cyclist, I know what the cyclists want. Likewise, as a pet lover, I aim to satisfy needs for them.” Robin expounded his objective of catering two services. What’s more? In the small town like Beaufort, consumers commonly find the difficulty reaching a decent pet or bike shop. Thus, Robin is there to serve the local community. He will do whatever possible to fulfill the pet lovers or cyclists’ needs in keeping a pet and enjoying the sport of cycling.