In June/July Velo Canada Bikes sent out a survey to bike shops across Canada. The intent was to get a snapshot of what business was like in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and business shutdowns in Canada. Following VCB’s work to ensure that provinces designated bike shops as “essential services” during the lockdown, it was important to understand the impacts.
What was the experience of the bike shops? If their city opened streets and expanded safe cycling infrastructure, did that impact sales? As small businesses have been struggling during the economic lockdown, what has it been like for bike shops, which are small businesses themselves.
A survey was sent to a total of 560 bike shops in Canada, from coast to coast. The survey consisted of only 7 questions and should have taken no more than 5 minutes to complete. We heard back from 64 bike shops from Victoria to Halifax.
Of note, and an important indicator, of the 12 bike shops that reported a decrease in revenue year over year, 4 were either closed during the pandemic or had changed their business model from the previous year. That left 8 shops with decreased sales. Of those, 6 shops are located in cities that have taken no action to improve cycling infrastructure, while only 2 are in cities that have responded with expanded cycling facilities.
Find the full report here: IBD Survey Report
