How's Business?

[Bill Bove]

Anybody else out there work in a shop? How's business? I am down big time and getting worried, I have done only 30% of last year for December to date.

The economy is supposed to be up, we got Saddam, what's going on?

[vaxn8r]

I don't know about everybody else but I know I'm doing my part for the LBS;)

[hybridbellbaske]

I'm doing my bit as well...just bought a seatpost and a pair of Ksyrium Elites. The owner of my LBS said mine were the fourth pair of Elites he'd sold in the last two days.... but I'm a world away from Florida, and its summer here.

[thepaperescape]

isn't war time economy usually better than peace time economy! so the capture of saddam may bring yet another recession with the very gradual pullout of iraq (and afghanistan) and the even slower payback of our record high debt. doesn't the republican say they stand against debt and taxes?

Howard Dean!
http://www.deanforamerica.com


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i'm still a kid. all the breaks i can get from mailorder is great. and seeing how the only person i like at my local serotta dealer is the bmx guy i really don't feel the urge to give back. they bite me down everytime i go in there... except my bmx buddy. but i guess i have to get my serotta from them (haha, not, i'm going to wheatridge to get fitted and ordered).

sorry for my down attitude. i really hope your (and every) bike shop succedes. but just so everyone is clear... it pays (litterally) to be nice!

[Smiley]

I am in the engineered industrail equipment business and most of my clients are going overseas or going to Mexico if they have not gone out of business. I think thats where most of the problems start and without new job creation we have no strong base to build from. My pal Flydhest is probably smarter than me with that guns and butter theory stuff. I wish you the best Bill cause I know that we have lost too many good bike shops here in the metro Washington DC area. These poor chaps also must deal with weather on top of the economy.

[flydhest]

Hmmm, retail sales are up, consumption expenditure is up, jobless claims are way down with the last week's data. The stock market has had a phenomenal year.

Sure, those things are in the aggregate, but somebody has to be doing better.

Bill's in Florida. Any bike shop employees/owners in other parts of the country care to report in?

[davep]

I don't own or work in a bike shop but i do own a tourist related business in South Florida. Our business is also down from a normal December, with Christmas being the worst I've had in 4 years. The following two weeks are good, but the rest of January, unless bookings pick up, will also be slow. But November was very good, so I don't know if its a pattern or just a fluky year.

[Blastinbob]

The socal exhaust business is down this year as well. Fortunately for myself I'm only down 3% gross, but 12% net. I had to cut profit in order to keep the volume up. This is only the 2nd "down year" i've had in my 15 yrs. of owning the company, but have seen some promise in the last couple of months.
December always sucks for me, "that hole in the muffler can wait until after christmas" unless the kids in the back seat start to turn blue from the fumes then maybe we should fix it.


mufflerman Bob

[Russ]

....If the economy is really doing better? OK, Saddam is caught, things are "under control" in Iraq. Consumers put more money on their credit cards the day after TG, so.....?

I just don't see the gas prices going down or my paycheck today, getting me much further than last year!

IMHO, all politicians, i.e., democrat, republican or other have lost touch of what this country should be: a model for the rest of the world.

[Birddog]

I was in myLBS, today and another guy asked the owner "how's business". The owner replied that you would never know it was December and almost Christmas from the sales. He said he hadn't figured it out yet, and maybe never would. It didn't make any sense to him. He indicated that there was maybe a tiny hint of "Holiday" like spending, but nothing like years past. This was in OKC.
Birddog junior member (probation)

[Kevin]

I don't own a LBS. But I make a real effort to use my LBS over the mail order catalogues. In the last year I have purchased an Ottrott ST, with Campy Record and carbon cranks, Ksyrium SSLs, Topolinos and more tires and clothing than I would like to admit. All from my LBS. I may be one of the most popular people at the LBS. So I suggest that you all follow my lead and go out and spend the inheritance that you would otherwise leave to your children. Such actions will revive the economy and you will enjoy some really fine cycling equipment.

Kevin

[Smiley]

I sent you a note , lets talk magoo252@comcast.net , thanks Captain Smiley , oh yeah I did order that $400 Brooks Swallow Saddle and those Shimano Shoes and new 7800 pedal and along with $400 worth of winter gear. Not bad on my part too bad all the stuff is NOT MADE IN AMERICA . Is that helping Mr Flydhest econ professor.