The Glenwood Springs, CO Post Independent has this article about the death of BSR Sports, an independent bicycle dealer / specialty sport shop in Glenwood Springs. The owners, Steve and Debbie Katers, took it in the chin with the nosedive of the tourism industry after 9/11 and the opening of several big box discount sports retailers within blocks of BSR Sports.
Glenwood Springs is located on the Western Slope of Colorado, just west and downhill of Vail Pass. It's a gorgeous city set in a beautiful valley, and many of its businesses depend on tourism dollars to stay afloat. The lack of snow for the past three winters killed the snowboarding business at BSR; summer forest fires killed the bike business. BSR pared down and retrenched, and then the big boxes opened.
The Katers are moving to Florida to operate their Mexico to operate their successful Mexico surfing vacation business. I feel sorry for them, but can't help but note the irony that the vacation industry will suffer this summer when fuel prices hit the stratosphere.
What does it take to succeed with a bike shop in a tourist town, especially when big box sport retailers open up down the street? See related: lbs, ecommerce, economy
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This is an all to common thing these days. There's a lot of stuff that stacks up against the IBD. Business is hard enough as it is. One definitely needs to adapt and evolve when in business. It looks like that's something that their attempting to do with the surfing vacations thing...
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