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The Study. Surveyed more than 100 bike-related businesses Sectors: Retail/repair Manufacturing/distribution Tours, rides, races, and events Professional services. Methodology. Developed database of relevant businesses Conducted survey Analyzed results
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The Study • Surveyed more than 100 bike-related businesses • Sectors: • Retail/repair • Manufacturing/distribution • Tours, rides, races, and events • Professional services
Methodology • Developed database of relevant businesses • Conducted survey • Analyzed results • Prepared draft and final reports
Five Survey Questions • Gross revenue related to bicycles • Number of employees • Growth in revenue over the past decade • The effect of Portland’s bicycle-friendly reputation on business • Suggestions for how the city can help grow the business
Challenges: Proprietary Information Business owners were frequently reluctant to share information about revenue.
Solutions • Telephone surveyors should be known, trusted professionals who can guarantee confidentiality. • Many businesses were reluctant to share their information, and were only willing to do so because of their personal relationship with our surveyors and when assured of their privacy.
Bike Industry: Retail/repair/rentals • 40+ specialty shops • Many new shops • + Bikes sold at “big box” retailers – lower cost but high volume
Challenges: Big Box Stores Large sporting good, discount, and toy stores are reluctant to divulge sales information.
Solutions Researchers estimated the percentage of bike sales at large retail stores by assuming: Bikes sell for $95-$120 per bike on average, versus $619 per bike at specialty shops), with the estimated dollar value of bicycles and accessories sold at specialty bike shops accounting for 79%, and the large retailers at 11%.”
Snapshot: Vanilla Cycles and Sacha White Five years ago, Sacha White began making bicycles under the name of Vanilla Cycles. With a careful branding strategy and a commitment to sustainability, White now has a waiting list of over 18 months, and has won national recognition for the excellence of his work.
Bike Industry: Tours, races, rides, events More than 2100 annual races, rides, tours, and events, averaging 7 per day!
Counted all the rides led by the various groups based on their published schedules. Dollar amounts found based on information from various studies and conversations with several tour leaders. Small/short rides (under 20 people): $1-$10 (food, incidentals) Medium-sized rides (20-100 people): $10-$15 Larger/longer rides (100+ riders): $25-$250 per person (food, lodging, incidentals) Estimating Events and Rides
Snapshot: Good Sport Promotion and Porter Childs Porter Childs started out organizing sporting events, but a deep connection to the cycling community combined with a hugely successful collaboration led to Good Sport Promotion. Good Sport Promotion now produces 10 major events a year, with an average of 1000 event attendees. They have a reputation for organizing events that are based more on community and fun, not on mileage. Through the use of blogs, on-line photo galleries, and newsletters, they try and make their events and their event attendees feel special. Many people who attend their events report that they have started riding in the past year, and wish to participate in order to meet new, like-minded people.
Bike Industry: Professional Services Professional services: advocacy, planning, artists, bikeportland.org, legal support, other creative entrepreneurs
Snapshot: Bikeportland.org and Jonathan Maus Jonathan Maus started Bikeportland.org to inform and inspire bicyclists, not only in Portland, but all over the nation. Bikeportland.org has grown from 14,000 visits in January 2006 to over 90,000 in August 2006. Revenue from advertising has grown five-fold in 6 months. Now rated as #1 bike-related blog in the world (www.technorati.com)
Snapshot:Redbat Press and Carye Bye Carye Bye loves bicycling & creating bicycle themed art, and the Portland bike community loves to support and buy bicycle themed art and create fairs and art shows where bike art can be showcased. Her art is created from hand carved woodblocks and hand printed. No two pieces are alike.
Bike Industry Growth $63 million in revenue 800+ jobs
Bike Industry Growth • + Numerous restaurants & coffee shops report their business depends on bicyclists
Bike Industry Growth “A very large part of why we moved here from SF is the unparalleled bike friendly reputation of this city with high livability. We can attract customers who wish to live well without a car, and that is within easy imaginative reach here, because of the city layout development policies, density, generally supportive approach of city government, and promotion and expansion of bike facilities. We live on a bike route and get bike-by business.” -Accessory Manufacturer “It is easier to recruit nationally with the enticement to relocate to the “bicycle-friendly city”. -Components Manufacturer “We moved here for the bike-centric community.” -Wholesale Components Distributor “There are 5 frame builders in Portland and we all have tons of business.” -Frame builder, reports 10-fold in revenue in 4 years “Portland’s reputation has a really huge effect. When I talk to people they get real excited and say "we are trying to do things like Portland." I have this conversation all the time; they ask lots of questions because we're the model for the nation.” –Terra Cycles “The whole reason I relocated my business in this town is because of the reputation.” -Revolver Bicycles “We see many, many people who have moved to Portland because of cycling and the lifestyle it represents.” -Bike shop owner, reports six-fold growth in revenue in 10 years
