Bicycle shops have bumpy ride since pandemic

Bike shops across the U.S. have had a bumpy ride in the years since a sales boom early in the pandemic. A surge of interest in cycling pushed sales up 64% to $5.4 billion in 2020, according to the retail tracking service Circana. It wasn’t unheard of for some shops to sell 100 bikes or more in a couple of days. The boom didn’t last. Hobbled by pandemic-related supply chain issues, the shops sold all their bikes and had trouble restocking. Now, inventory has caught up, but fewer people need new bikes. So, bicycle makers have been slashing prices to clear out the excess. It all adds up to a tough environment for retailers, although there are a few bright spots, like gravel and e-bikes. In 2023, bike sales totaled $4.1 million, up 23% from 2019, but down 24% from 2020, according to Circana. The path out of the pandemic has been uneven—national retailers, such as REI and Scheels, are stabilizing faster than independent bike stores. Independent bike stores not only have to compete with national chains but increasingly, bike makers, such as Specialized and Trek, as well. They’ve been buying bike shops and selling their bikes directly to consumers, essentially cutting out the middleman. In Boulder, Colorado, Douglas Emerson’s bike shop, University Bicycles, is faring better than many, boosted by its location in one of the most popular places to ride bikes in the country. He’s had the shop for 39 years and employs 30 staffers. Emerson says the shop reached a “saturation point”—everyone who wanted a bike bought one. Now, he’s selling those customers accessories like clothing, helmets, and locks. His shop has returned to its 2019 sales numbers. University Bicycles has also benefited from some of the shifts in buying patterns. Continued high demand for e-bikes and a growing demand for children’s bikes have helped. And gravel bikes, which are designed to be ridden both on paved and gravel roads, are replacing road bikes as a popular seller. This article was provided by The Associated Press.