• Bicycle sales up more than 120% amid pandemic,
Sales are rolling along at a record clip at Wheeler Dealer Bicycle Shop, as metro-area residents forced to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic have sought ways to beat off the bored om, get some exercise and enjoy family activities.
“Kids' bikes are sold completely out ,” said Steve Gooden, owner of the store at 2729 NW 50. “Mountain bikes. I've never seen anything like it.”
In March, as the severity of the novel coronavirus pandemic l ed federal and state leaders to shutdown the country, sales of adult leisure bikes ballooned 121% over the previous year, according to NPD Group, a New York-based market research company.
Sales of children's bicycles were up 56% over the previous year.
In many states, repair shops were considered essential businesses, which sparked a 20% increase in service sales, according to NPD.
Dirk Sorenson, sports industry analyst at NPD, attributed the growth to families looking for kid-friendly activities during stay-athome orders.
“Growth is stem ming largely from children's, BMX, and adult leisure bikes that carry a more approachable price-point than some of the more expensive bike styles that were selling well prior to the COVID- 1 9 crisis ,” he said in a news release. “Ultimately, more people are likely riding today than in years past.”
Wheeler Dealer sold about 250 bikes in May. A typical month might see between 75 and 100 bikes roll off the rack. Online orders are backed up by a week or so as dealers across the country are hunting for bicycles to keep pace with demand.
Even the adult tricycles have sold out.
Good en theorized that many people took up bikeriding as away to keep in shape.
“It' s through the roof nationwide ,” he said .“It kicked off from the start of the virus. All the gyms had to shut down. People wanted to keep exercising and it snowballed from there. Now everybody is buying them.”
The trend is part of a shifting economy shredded by the pandemic and given a lifeline by the government stimulus, one local economist said. In some cases, maybe people decided to cancel the gym membership they didn't use much anyway, and instead chose to ride a bike and save money.
“That is what a stimulus check is supposed to do— drive demand,” said Travis Roach, University of Central Oklahoma economics professor. “The president doesn't get to hit a switch and everything is back to normal. It depends on people's risks and their perception of risks.”
Of course, the trend may swing the other way as the economy opens up.
“Pawn shops at the end of the year may end up selling bikes because there's a surplus of used bikes,” Roach said.