What does a first-time buyer check before paying?
In 2024, our researchers observed first-time buyers in bicycle retail showrooms to evaluate purchase hesitation and showroom interactions. The study gathered contextual evidence across two countries to identify physical touchpoints before transaction completion.
Bicycle maker, 2024
IN NUMBERS
01 — Bicycle maker, 2024
in-store visits
18
countries
2
findings
9
THE BRIEF
02 — The question and how we worked on it
The Commercial Brief and Fieldwork
The client, an independent bicycle manufacturer, observed substantial foot traffic in partner dealer showrooms that failed to convert into sales among novice cyclists. The management team commissioned Shirabe Research to answer: ‘What does a first-time buyer check before paying?’ Rather than distributing post-visit questionnaires, our fieldwork team deployed to retail showrooms across two countries. Tomás Ibarra and Clara Wendt conducted eighteen in-store contextual visits, shadowing prospective purchasers as they browsed display floors and engaged with sales staff. We recorded natural customer hesitations, physical contact points with display bicycles, and the specific questions buyers voiced before stepping away.
VOICES
03 — In their words (participants anonymised)
Participant Voices and Field Observations
Our eighteen visits across two countries produced nine distinct findings that contradicted internal engineering assumptions. Sales staff consistently focused on frame weights and drivetrain component grades, whereas buyers sought basic physical confidence. Three participant quotes captured the central hesitations observed during retail sessions:
“I lift the frame with one hand first; if it feels too heavy right there, I never ask about gears.”
Participant, Bicycle maker, 2024
“The spec sheet lists torque and alloy grades, but I just want to know if the brake levers reach my fingers.”
Participant, Bicycle maker, 2024
“Nobody explained what happens when I get a puncture on my commute home; that is what stops me paying.”
Participant, Bicycle maker, 2024
These insights proved that unaddressed vulnerability prevented purchase completion.
AFTERWARDS
04 — What the client changed
What the Client Changed
In response to the study’s nine findings, the manufacturer redesigned retail presentation materials and retail staff training modules. Technical specification placards were replaced with clear ergonomic sizing cards that emphasized reach adjustability, standover clearance, and total carrying weight. Showroom display bicycles were adjusted so handlebar controls were pre-set for comfortable hand reach rather than competitive racing postures. In addition, the company developed a printed, straightforward puncture repair guide included with every floor demonstration, addressing customer anxiety regarding roadside emergencies directly at the point of sale without exaggerating technical specifications.