"Bike free" for the second location

Jena bike shop BIKEANDSNOW opens with a focus on families

Steffen Klaus and his team at "BIKEANDSNOW" have been helping the people of Jena get on their bikes for 30 years. The store in Weigelstraße has now become too small to optimally serve the different requirements of its customers, partly due to the high demand for two-wheelers during the coronavirus pandemic. More space was needed for the new trends in the industry - from e-bikes to cargo bikes. From 5 March 2022, BIKEANDSNOW will be opening another store on a total of 930 square meters in Jena's Erbertstraße, specifically for families and their transport needs.

"From Jena for Jena and the region," is how owner Steffen Klaus describes the concept of his store.

"We want to offer our customers a broad portfolio specifically for their family requirements and a setting in which they can try out and experience a lot."

The Jena retailer scores particularly well with its comprehensive personal advice in this segment:

"I have to be able to test a bike and feel whether it feels right."

According to Steffen Klaus, no online store can offer this. The professional bike salesman is also involved in his home town in the same way.

"As a company, we also take on social responsibility and are involved in projects such as the Jena Children's Language Bridge or the Lions Club Jena, which benefit disadvantaged children, among others."

Speaking of benefiting: Both the social trend towards sustainable transportation and the high demand for bikes during the coronavirus pandemic have boosted business. However, Steffen Klaus doesn't just want to manage this success:

"We want to and must continue to develop and actively shape the transport revolution."

BIKEANDSNOW has all the important leasing partners for professional bike commuting services in its program.

The Jena Economic Development Agency (JenaWirtschaft) has actively supported the search for the new location since 2020. Finding a central location for the wide range of products - from children's bikes to e-bikes and cargo bikes - was a challenge, says Patrick Werner from JenaWirtschaft's business service:

"Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, we have seen strong demand from local, regional, and even national bicycle retailers looking for stores with at least 1,000 square meters of retail space in Jena."

On the one hand, these sizes of space are rare in Jena, and on the other hand, those wishing to set up shop cannot settle just anywhere, but must adhere to the city of Jena's retail development concept and existing building permits, says Werner.

At BIKEANDSNOW, everything was just right. Steffen Klaus is optimistic about the future of his new store. The linchpin for him is his team, which has been with him for 30 years:

"We are also continuing to grow as an employer. Last year, we took on two trainees, among other things, thus securing our own junior staff. But we are also looking for new employees and trainees who want to develop with us."

A total of 24 people currently work in the Jena bike store. From Saturday, 13 of them will be available to provide expert advice to all bike fans in the new store at Erbertstraße 2.