GURU Sports developed a new bike fitting system to help customers select the right bike. They needed a high-quality display for customers to see their posture and performance, and a tablet for sales associates to control the simulation. GURU selected Samsung's ME Series display and Galaxy Tab 3 tablet. The display provides clear visuals for customers during fittings. The tablet allows sales associates to freely adjust the simulation and better engage customers. Bike retailers report the new system has increased sales and close rates over 80% by making fittings more accessible and engaging.
2. 2
Case Study
Overview
Customer Need
GURU Sports makes a computerized fitting
system used by bike retailers to help riders
select the right bike and accessories. In
developing the next-generation GURU Fit
System, it needed a high-quality, reliable
display so that riders could visualize their
posture, movement, and performance.
Additionally, GURU sought a complementary
tablet so that sales associates could better
engage with customers during a fitting.
Samsung Solution
GURU Sports selected Samsung's ME
Series commercial display and GALAXY
Tab®
3 10.1" as the customer and operator
interfaces for the new GURU Fit System.
The slim LED edge-lit ME Series connects
to an HD camera to display the rider's
image cycling through simulated courses.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab enables the
sales associate to change biking conditions
during the fitting and recommend bikes and
accessories based on the rider's experience.
Results
The new GURU Fit System with the
Samsung ME Series commercial display and
Galaxy Tab has made the fitting experience
more accessible, engaging and efficient.
Over 80% of the bike retailers who have
deployed the new GURU Fit System have
reported an increase in sales and close
rates. The Samsung display also doubles
as a digital signage display when a fitting
is not in progress, opening new marketing
opportunities for GURU Sports and retailers.
3. 3
Case Study
The Customer Need
Taking the Guesswork Out of Finding and Selling a Bike
Selecting the right bike is a daunting challenge for most buyers. Casual riders are often
intimidated by racks of bikes that all seem to look alike. Active riders have to select from
hundreds of expensive bikes with customized shifters, derailleurs, saddles, frames, and
pedals. Meanwhile, storeowners stock their racks with hundreds of bikes hoping to have
the right one on hand for the next customer who walks in the door. From both sides of
the counter, it's an expensive guessing game.
"If someone is really into bikes, it's not uncommon for them to walk into a shop and
spend $12,000 on a high-end bicycle," says Morten Kristiansen, General Manager at
GURU Sports. "You can spend a lot less than that too, but the challenge is still the same
– taking the guesswork out of finding the right bike."
GURU Sports sought to reduce the complexity of choosing the right bike by developing the
Fit System based on a rider's unique body type, riding style, and cycling terrain. The original
system consisted of a bike simulator and PC software to measure riding performance.
However, in designing the next-generation Fit System, GURU Sports recognized the
need to provide real-time visual feedback to the rider through a large-screen display.
The sales associate also needed to be mobile – not stuck behind a PC – in order to
engage and interact with the rider.
The new GURU Fit System is built around a state-of-the-art simulation bike that provides
a real-world biking experience to recreate the feel of different bike models, terrains, and
accessories. The rider would sit facing the display unit that shows their image and bio-
mechanic data in real-time with a motion-capture camera. Completing the system, a
tablet would enable the sales associate to adjust the simulation parameters.
The fitting session takes about 15-20 minutes through different road and environmental
settings shown on the display. During the fitting, the sales associate can change the
bike brand/ type and adjust the positions of the bike, handlebars and pedals with the
tablet. The system creates a custom report that riders can use to guide their decisions.
The Customer
GURU Sports
GURU Sports is part of Cycling Sports
Group Inc., a global leader in bicycles with
famous brands like Schwinn, Mongoose,
Cannondale, Caloi, GT, and Sugoi. The
brand portfolio caters to a wide range of
young and adult riders including casual
strollers, city commuters, professional
racers, and off-road enthusiasts.
GURU Sports' mission is to improve the
way customers select bikes and accessories
through cutting-edge computing, software,
electronics and bio-metric technologies.
GURU Sports developed the GURU Fit
System, a computerized stationary bicycle
that simulates riding experiences over road
and mountain trails to help riders select the
right bike and riding positions based on a
variety of factors including height, weight,
road conditions and riding styles.
4. 4
Case Study
Bright, Reliable Commercial Displays and Easy-To-Use
Tablets
In developing the new GURU Fit System, the company carefully
evaluated many display and tablet options and ultimately chose the
40-inch Samsung ME Series LED commercial display and 10.1-inch
Galaxy Tab 3.
"We consider GURU Fit to be a premium brand," says Christopher
Kautz, Director of Technology & Product Development at GURU
Sports. "So we chose to work only with companies that manufacture
top-notch equipment and obviously Samsung is a marquee name in
the electronics industry." GURU Sports also wanted to achieve brand
consistency between the display and tablet, and Samsung is the only
vendor with industry-leading display and tablet lines.
The ME Series commercial display features edge-lit backlight
technology for a bright picture, even in high ambient lighting
conditions like retail showrooms. The ME Series displays also
provided GURU with a super slim profile to enable seamless
integration into the base unit without taking up valuable space. And
the new ME Series lineup incorporates Samsung's SMART Signage
Platform, an embedded system-on-chip solution which eliminates the
need for a separate media player.
The Samsung Solution
Quick Profile
As used at GURU Sports
Samsung ME40C Series
Commercial Display
DISPLAY SIZES (DIAGONAL) 40 inches
PANEL TECHNOLOGY 60 Hz LED Edge-Lit LCD
RESOLUTION Full HD 1,920 x 1,080
BRIGHTNESS 450 nits
RESPONSE TIME 8 ms
SCREEN DEPTH 1.2 inches
INTERNAL MEDIA PLAYER ARM®
Cortex®
-A9 1 GHz Dual Core, 1 GB DDR3, 4 GB FDM
CONNECTIVITY 3 HDMI Inputs, USB, Ethernet RJ45
WEIGHT 23.4 lbs
FEATURES SMART Signage Platform, MagicInfo Premium S
ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY STAR®
compliant
STANDARD WARRANTY 3 years (parts and labor)
OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE IN SERIES 32, 46, 55, 75 & 95"
The ME Series 40-inch display is built into the Fit System base unit
with a 3D camera so riders can see themselves as they experience
the simulated ride. Riders can also see real-time bike adjustments
made by the sales associate as well as the bicycle models being
used.
As the Fit System is often the centerpiece of a bike shop's sales floor,
when not in use for fitting, the Samsung display loops eye-catching
promotional videos and product demonstrations. "Samsung displays
have a reputation for reliability and quality, and that was critical
because the displays are running 10-14 hours a day," says Kautz.
The 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab connects via Wi-Fi and provides
the sales associate flexibility to control the Fit System software and
make real-time adjustments to the simulation bike. The Android-
based tablet is intuitive and easy to use, enabling the sales associate
to move around freely and engage face-to-face with the rider.
5. 5
Case Study
More Engagement, Better Fits and Increased Sales
With the Samsung ME Series commercial display and Galaxy tablet
providing the customer and operator interfaces for the new GURU Fit
System, the fitting experience has become more accessible, engaging
and efficient.
Customers finish the fitting excited and ready to select bikes and
accessories that match their unique needs - whether off-roading
on a mountain or winding down a country road. For novice riders, it
takes the intimidation out of buying a bike. For the advanced rider,
it provides a customized fit that combines tens of thousands of bike
and accessory options.
"The new GURU Fit System with the Samsung display and tablet
is a game changer on the sales floor," says Brendan Poh, owner of
CycleCraft in Parsippany, New Jersey. "The Samsung display and
tablet enables us to engage with the customer during the fitting and
positions our staff as consultative advisors."
Importantly, this enhanced experience is helping bike stores drive
sales, with more than 80% of the retailers using the system reporting
higher close rates.
"Our sales close and transaction amounts have definitely increased,"
says Poh. In fact, stores are now designing their floor space around
the Fit System.
The Fit System database of more than 2,000 bicycles and accessories
enables stores to remove the clutter from the showroom and the
excess inventory from the warehouse.
The Results
Quick Profile
As used at GURU Sports
Samsung GALAXY TAB 3 10.1"
OS Android™ 4.2, Jelly Bean
DISPLAY 10.1" WXGA (1,280 x 800)
PROCESSOR 16 GHz, dual-core
MEMORY 16 GB with microSD™ card slot for expansion up to 64 GB
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802. 11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi®
Direct, Bluetooth®
V4.0, USB 2.0
CAMERA 3 MP rear-facing, 1.3 MP front-facing
"For storeowners, it is much easier to load a simulation of a particular
model than to shuffle bikes across the store," says Kristiansen. "By
the time the customer sees the actual product, they're already sold.
We're excited with the new opportunities opening up through the
integration of Samsung technology into the GURU Fit System."
