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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio—Should you’ve pushed on Brecksville Rd., your eye could have caught some inventive indicators within the window of the Independence Bike Shoppe. What began as indicators with performs on phrases like “Finest place to take a leak,” has just lately modified to, “Should you hold shopping for components on Amazon, ultimately there gained’t be a store to put in them.”
John Romano has been the proprietor of the Independence Bike Shoppe for 20 years and is the successor to some earlier homeowners. He mentioned the constructing itself has been standing for 100 years whereas it has solely been a motorbike store since roughly the 1970s. Romano runs the store by himself promoting adult-sized bicycles, bike equipment, and performing repairs.
He started creating indicators to place within the window of his store to get individuals to look and have fun. Romano mentioned individuals have taken selfies with the indicators and ask when the subsequent ones can be showing. Within the case of the signal about Amazon, he mentioned the message is true.
“We’re a dying breed amongst the remainder of the brick and mortar shops,” mentioned Romano.
He said that because the web got here to be a spot for individuals to buy, clients search for on the spot gratification. “We’re a showroom for the web. Everyone seems to be on the lookout for value greater than high quality,” mentioned Romano. Whereas the Independence Bike Shoppe used to promote over 100 bikes a yr, Romano mentioned that the numbers have decreased to double digits.
In line with an article on Cleveland.com, the Independence Center Faculty constructing on Brecksville Rd. closed in 2004. Since this time, Romano mentioned the variety of youngsters coming into the store has dwindled. He mentioned youngsters’s bikes are generally purchased at retail giants like Walmart. Romano will assemble bikes that have been bought from a retail chain however doesn’t promote youngsters’s bikes in his store anymore. He mentioned the actual cash is within the repairs he does.
This photograph from the late 90s reveals former worker, Mike, from the Independence Bike Shoppe fixing the tire on a toddler’s bicycle. (Picture courtesy of John Romano)
He attributes the decline in bike gross sales to elements reminiscent of value and the getting older inhabitants. Romano mentioned the tariffs have elevated, which drive the costs of the bikes up. In relation to buying a motorbike from a neighborhood store in comparison with a sequence retailer, Romano mentioned, “Folks don’t need to pay [but] Walmart bikes crumble.”
In regard to an getting older inhabitants, in line with suburbanstats.org, which features its content material from the US Census Bureau, the inhabitants of properties in Independence with a number of individuals 60 years and over is 1,289 out of a complete of two,770 occupied properties.
Romano used to construct wheelchairs within the house healthcare discipline and later labored at Parma Cycle to work on handicapped scooters. When that portion of the enterprise pale, he assembled bicycles, carried out the mechanics, and ultimately was a supervisor of Parma Cycle earlier than proudly owning the store in Independence.
He remembers the store’s early days when his late father would discuss with individuals exterior of the store in the course of the Dwelling Days celebration. “I take pleasure in what I do. I’m truthful with all people and don’t promote you what you don’t want,” mentioned Romano.
He’s trying to retire within the close to future and the mentioned whoever is keen on shopping for the enterprise must put on many hats from restore and finance to meeting and customer support. “I’m the longest surviving retail enterprise [in the area],” mentioned Romano. With out native bike outlets, he mentioned all of the enterprise will find yourself on the similar big-name retailer.
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