Canadian bike retailer says switching from Windows to Mac cut IT costs

Canadian bicycle retailer Bicycles Quilicot says moving its operations from Windows PCs to Apple products has reduced IT costs and downtime while helping the century-old business modernise its stores.

Founded in Montréal in 1915, Bicycles Quilicot has grown into one of Canada’s longest-established bike retailers. The company decided to standardise on Apple as it looked for a simpler technology setup that could support both its retail operation and continued expansion.

According to Apple, staff now use iMac on the shop floor to help customers configure bikes, view product information and complete purchases through the Lightspeed point-of-sale platform.

Mac and iPad are also used behind the scenes to manage inventory spanning around 350 brands and more than 10,000 products, while warehouse teams use Mac workstations to process incoming orders and shipping.

Bicycles Quilicot says the move away from PCs has allowed it to eliminate third-party maintenance contracts, saving tens of thousands of dollars each year. The company also points to easier device management and fewer software problems as major advantages as the business has expanded.

Employees continue to use business software including Microsoft 365 and QuickBooks on Mac, while iPad is used for warehouse and finance workflows. Apple says the switch has helped improve productivity and reduce the burden of IT support across the company.