Multiple Store Locations – Overview

This article is relevant if your business operates across multiple locations. Common scenarios include:

• Multiple Stores – You own a chain or more than one shop.

• Tour Operators – You manage tours where reservations may take place across different physical locations.

Note: This is not about offering deliveries from a single store. For delivery-specific information, please see this article.

1. Multiple Stores

There are two main ways to handle multiple shops or stores:

Independent (Multi-Site)

Each shop is completely independent, with its own virtual store (BRM account).

• Each location has its own login and its own fleet of bikes.

• Bikes cannot easily be shared between shops.

Amalgamated (Multi-Location)

You operate from a single virtual store (one BRM account).

• You manage one central fleet.

• Each shop is entered into the system, and assets can be tagged to specific locations.

• Reservations can be tagged with start and end locations.

2. Tour Operators
Tour operators can enter all the locations they operate in. This enables:

• Tracking reservation start and end locations.

• Assigning assets to specific locations within a reservation.

Additionally, tour operators may want to use ReservationTypes to customize how different reservation types are displayed in the planning window.

PROs and CONs of Each Configuration:

	Multi-store (MS)	ML - global	ML - location-based
Multiple BRM stores
Control each configuration at the location (Store) level
Single BRM store
Control booking by location online

One BRM Store – Multi-Location Functionality

PROs:

• Ideal if bikes are shared frequently across locations.

• Only one store to manage: one login, one set of stats, one fleet.

• Easy central management with sub-location tags.
  
  

CONs:

• Online booking can be tricky.

• BRM checks availability per bike per date, but not per location. This means you may need to manage availability carefully with lead times.

• All bikes and reservations are visible to all users, which can make searching harder.

• Filters can help narrow down availability by location.

Multiple BRM Stores – One BRM per Location

PROs:

• Great if stores are mostly independent.

• Each location has its own account, with separate fleets and logins.

• Online booking works smoothly, with availability tracked by bike, date, and location.

• Ability to log into multiple accounts at once.

CONs:

• Not easy to share bikes between stores.

• You cannot have a single online booking system that aggregates across all locations.

Multi-Location – Location-Based Mode

This option allows you to run a single BRM account but operate in a way that feels store-specific. Each location is managed as a sub-entity within one account, giving you location-level control while keeping the advantages of central management. See more here.

See Also

running multiple 'locations' within one BRM / RSM