Another Local Bike Shop Forced to Close
 

It looks like Plano Texas also has a Performance Bicycle Shop. I wonder if it will survive, and for how long.

The photos I'm seeing online of the Plano Cycling and Fitness Store show an impressively large store.

https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/plan...-plano?start=0

And, rather modern looking. Hardly the look and feel of a 46 year old Mom & Pops store.

A very strange story. The owner makes it sound as if he decided of his own accord to shut down, not because the shop was no longer profitable, but because the new way of doing business required of him was distasteful. "Impersonal" as it were. He referred to the new model as a "fulfillment center" model which for whatever reason or reasons, he refused to take part in. OK, well, lots of people just lost their jobs, most of them full time workers who had been with the shop for up to 15 years if not longer.

I would like to feel some sense of sympathy, especially with the tears, but if he could've stayed afloat and even made money and decided not to because of "feelz" then it's a lot more difficult to do.

No doubt online competition has taken a huge bite out of local bicycle businesses. So, there is a choice of whether to join the online rat-race and potentially harm other small shops, or to reject it.

And, if every shop jumped onto the online market, the competition would be intense.

Of course, it is not just online, but also Walmart that sells 10 bikes from $100 to $200 for every bike the LBS sells from $1000 to $5000. And those Walmart bikes become disposable when it costs more to fix them than to replace them.

On the other hand, by going online, a small shop might be able to expand their inventory, acquire parts at a greater bulk discount, lower overall sales prices, keep employees busier, dump dead stock, and overall improve service.

It's pretty clear from the article that operating as a "fulfillment center" was going to require laying off most of his employees, particularly the skilled ones.

Frankly, if he didn't want to do it, it's likely he wouldn't have succeeded keeping the small low wage work force in place for very long.

"On the other hand, by going online, a small shop might be able to expand their inventory, acquire parts at a greater bulk discount, lower overall sales prices, keep employees busier, dump dead stock, and overall improve service. "

Gotta have the mula or credit to buy the extra inventory to get deeper discounts. Not many small shops have those options. I do know several owners that have amped up their online game. One is very successful, however he does it completely different from the others. If the vendors caught on to what he does, they might yank their brands, well except for Fuji. They already know. The other two are struggling to make it worth the effort, but they have moved almost all the dead inventory that was written off years ago. Outside of that it is not profitable for them.

I like the thought he put out there. The habits are forever changed, and we need to assess it in realistic terms:

"“I just know what the sales tax is that we’ve been able to generate over the years, and even in this small business it’s pretty astounding to me,” said Gurney. “How do my spending habits impact my neighborhood and my community? I think we’re all going to have to think about that question and answer it.”"

I was a bit surprised to see the closure note on their website yesterday.

-Matt

Are bike shop employees "skilled labor?" That's an open question. As far as the article, it transcribes the interview in the video, and there is no indication that this "skilled labor" would have to be laid off. What's clear is that any sales interactions in store would largely be eliminated. Sales positions are not "skilled labor." Here is the relevant quote:

“I felt like I’m no longer an independent bike person as much as I might be a fulfillment center for someone making purchases online and that’s when it became impersonal,” said Gurney. “Once that happened, I thought that’s not what I signed up for.”

The information from the vid and article imply that he could have stayed open and remained profitable but would have less face to face time with customers. He didn't have to close his doors, it was his choice.

In College towns the people who got to have experience, in the bike shops, managers and such, their Wife was a Tenure track Professor

Sheldon's wife was one in Mathematics..

So it sounds like the business had no value, beyond its inventory, or I would think it would be sold. Since it's a family biz, maybe they owned their real estate and that is what had value, not the business itself.

scott s.
.

Do all bike shops have an option of branding their own online storefront, with inventory/pricing/products actually provided by the distributors (eg. QBP or whatnot)?
eg. I see sites like the below, and it's not certain that if I actually went to the store that the products would actually be there.
https://www.brandscycle.com/product-...eewheels-1057/

Also, why isn't there a bicycle dealers association that organizes some consortium buying on behalf of all of the smaller independent LBSs?

Nope. All Performance stores are closing. Cue "Internet Killed the Bicycle Store," sung to the tune of ...

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a1037b7a4e.jpg

Performance in Plano is closing as well.

It would seem a bit premature for one of Plano's largest cycling shops to close simultaneously with perhaps their greatest competition also closing.

The internet question is interesting.

In the past I would go to bike shops to buy parts that I would then take home and install. I never considered the bike shops like a social club to hang with the mechanics.

So, it is an easy jump to hop online.

I still think a good shop should be able to do both, although it gets complicated if one wishes to sell say a groupset for $400 online and $600 in the store. But, there is no reason why one couldn't find prices that are the same in store and online that would make everyone happy.

You blew past the fourth sentence of the article: "This year, Gurney said he was faced with a choice: make deep cuts to stay in business or close. ". I'm pretty clear that a "fulfillment center" is not going to have a lot of jobs for skilled mechanics.
You're obviously invested in judging the guy. Knock yourself out. I just think it's pretty harsh to expect him to transform his business into something he'd hate, and risk putting more money into it.

Just 40 performance shops, at least for now.

You keep using the term "skilled" in relation to bike shop employees. Yet, complete amateurs are able to tune derailleurs and true wheels after watching short vid tutorials on youtube. A $20 basic mini-tool is enough to assemble any bike out of the box in under half an hour. I reserve the term "skilled" for welders, brazing, or perhaps wheel building, not basic bike assembly and maintenance. Most mechanics are putting together $300 beginner bikes or children's tricycles most of the time.

Most shop mechanics are minimum wage labor, a large percentage fresh out of high school with their 'training' comprised largely if not exclusively from working on their bmx bikes.

As far as some of your weird accusations, who knows what motivates that. All I see is a bare-bones story with zero details on what the owner's business options were. In your agitated state, asking questions is akin to a capital offense.

My wife works with a guy who also works at Performance -- he says that was the original company line, but now they're all being shuttered.

Of course it exists, but like video, Internet/satellite radio has replaced it, except for us old fogeys who still listen to NPR and don't know how to DL a podcast. Regardless, the point is that online retail is, by-and-large, killing the mom & pop stores, and most of us are going to live to regret that, eventually.

I'm glad my local shops aren't like the ones you frequent. Around here, it's hydro bleeds, shock rebuilds, frame alignments, hub and BB overhauls, bike fittings, singlespeed conversions, and custom builds all day long. Seriously -- a high school BMX grom wouldn't last a day in a pro-level shop.

You're an extraordinarily silly person. Have a nice weekend.

Well, when it stops being fun, it is time to stop and move on---for those who have the easy option. He, apparently, had the option. Good for him for making a choice.

Well, F********.... that sucks. :mad: