PITTSBURGH — George Gatto’s bicycle shop flourished in summer 2020, as the first pandemic lockdowns eased and bike sales nationwide boomed. This summer, however, is a different story.
The demand is still there, but manufacturing warehouses globally are empty, and places such as Gatto Cycle Shop in Tarentum are left scrambling.
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When the coronavirus restrictions hit in March 2020, Gatto closed his doors. He couldn’t sell anything for months. He even debated selling off his inventory to others in his dealer performance group. But they told him to save his stock and buy as much as he could. Reluctantly, he listened to their advice. The inventory turned out to be vital to the shop’s endurance that year.
Once stores reopened in the early summer, people flocked to Gatto’s, snapping up the two-wheeled ways to spend the summer in motion, outdoors. Gatto was elated — until he realized supplies were not unlimited.
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The combination of manufacturing shutdowns during the pandemic and the tremendous demand of customers has created a shortage of bikes and service parts. Bike shops have been left with longer waits on supplier shipments and less inventory to sell.
The delays could last a few years, according to our news partners at Trib Live.
Shop owners expect the market and inventory to return close to normal by next summer. But some smaller shops are worried they won’t make it that long.
You can read more on TribLive.com.
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