Toshiba Delivers Fleet-Wide Visibility for ERIK’S in Just One Day
Erik was only 13 when he started ERIK’S, inspired by his first bike—a hand-me-down from an older family member. With money saved from his paper route and a strong entrepreneurial drive, he bought 50 used bikes, repaired them, and sold them—turning a passion into a business.
The original workshop was a barn in his parents’ backyard, where a homemade sign drew customers in. As demand grew, ERIK’S Bike Shop expanded from used repairs to new bikes and accessories, quickly outgrowing the family’s basement—and then the rest of the house. At 18, Erik moved out of the barn and opened his first retail location.
Today, ERIK’S employs more than 450 people with locations across the Midwest, offering far more than cycling—now including snowboards, downhill skis, skateboards, pro scooters, and related gear. Even as the business has grown, the focus remains the same: professional, knowledgeable service in a friendly store environment. Erik is still often in the shops helping customers—and occasionally meeting “third-generation” shoppers connected to those earliest barn-store days.
Challenge
ERIK’s, a Midwest specialty retail chain managing 150 devices spread across 35 stores in five states needed a reliable way to identify and register each printer—an essential step for service support and supply replenishment. Traditional methods required time-consuming manual processes and costly onsite visits, creating inefficiencies for IT teams.
Solution
Toshiba partnered with ERIK’s to simplify printer registration, reduce operational workload, and enable store staff to complete key tasks independently.
Toshiba introduced eTAG™, the industry’s first mobile, QR-enabled, remote self-service printer registration technology. With a simple scan, each device can be accurately cataloged by make, model, and location, while also enabling QR-based supply ordering and service requests. Because eTAG™ connects a generic label to a specific device during scanning, it reduces identification errors and eliminates the need for onsite registration visits.
With a one-week deadline, the retailer completed registration across all locations in just one day using eTAG™.
Result
Key outcomes include:
- 100% of printers registered quickly and efficiently.
- Reduced time, labor, and operational costs for the IT team.
- Improved accuracy and visibility into the device environment.
- Enabled better forecasting of supply needs and more accurate service scheduling.
- Accelerated onboarding and simplified fleet management, supported by a centralized, real-time view.
- Minimized disruption to store operations, since staff can register devices when it works best for them.
These improvements not only streamlined internal operations but also enabled ERIK’S to maintain its high standard of customer service across every location.