Bicycle sales at the hay market have been so bad

Jakarta –

People’s desire to cycle or cycle is decreasing. This situation can be seen from the decline in sales of new and used bicycles from year to year.

For example, in the area of ​​Pasar Rumput, South Jakarta, which has long been known as a center for buying and selling cheap bicycles. Now in that area many traders have chosen to go out of business due to lack of customers.

One of the traders who plans to close his shop soon, Kode, said his shop could sell up to 20 bikes a day in 2020-2021, when cycling activity was ‘booming’ .

Currently, Kode cannot sell one bike in a day. Even until this afternoon when he was found detikcomit had no best sellers at all.

“In the past, during the pandemic, we could sell 20 units a day, so we often ran out. If we are now spending 20 units a day, we are already grateful to sell more than 10 units a month,” he said when we met him. detikcom at his cottage, Wednesday (25/9/2024).

“Now there is no need to sell anything in a day. Usually our hope is Saturday-Sunday, because many people have holidays (they have time to look for bikes ), it’s quiet now,” he explained again.

According to him, this situation is much worse compared to before 2020 or during the pandemic. Because at that time Kode was still able to sell 3-4 bikes a day when he was quiet, and he was able to sell up to 10 bikes when he was busy.

“In the past (before the pandemic) you could sell 3-4 bikes. If it was busy like Saturday-Sunday, there could be up to 10 units. Now it’s Saturday-Sunday quiet,” said Kode.

“Like last August it was mostly from companies, offices, they ordered 5 or 10 (bikes) as gifts or door prizes So, now there is none. “Usually we hope from there, now it’s not there, it’s not there at all,” he explained again.

Not only in terms of sales, the decline in people’s interest in cycling is also reflected in the decline in product sales prices. However, during the pandemic, the selling price of bicycles increased.

The code explains that there will be many Covid-19 restrictions in 2020-2021 which will prevent factories from operating normally. Likewise, the process of importing bicycles or materials for making bicycles has been delayed due to the pandemic.

This situation creates limited bike stocks in the midst of great public interest. Therefore the selling price from the factory rose very high, and the effect was that the prices of traders on customers also rose significantly.

“That (during the pandemic) didn’t increase the price again, but it changed the price. A bike that normally costs IDR 500 thousand could become IDR 1 million. At that time the price could increase two or three times,” he explained.

Another bicycle dealer in the Pasar Rumput area, Rony, also said that during the pandemic, bicycle sales in his shop had jumped three times compared to normal days, although he was reluctant to comment. on its daily or monthly turnover.

“It’s like when the pandemic hits us, we can basically double or triple our sales. Even if the price at that time was also high, right. The problem is that many factories are closed and are not producing, so the stock is there. small, but it will run out,” said Rony.

Unlike during the pandemic, Rony admitted that even now he finds it difficult to sell one bike a day. Even if there are buyers, there are usually only one or two children’s bikes for sale.

“Most adult bikes have gone down, like Bromton bikes, folding bikes, MTBs, now nobody buys them. Fixie bikes are usually used by school children, but one or two are being bought,” he said.

“Usually now only children’s bikes are bought, for children under 7 years old, people still buy them. Yes, at least one or two people buy children’s bikes, “

Not only are bike sales declining, the number of customers coming to collect or repair bikes is also declining. This situation makes it difficult for the store to turn back the money it receives as capital.

“There are also very few people who come to collect bikes or service them now. It’s like almost no one comes to change pipes inside, although it seems (the cost of servicing or collection) is enough to cover food, right,” he said.

“Now it’s not possible to buy (buy a new bike to sell again). Cost too much, people rent shops and eat only and they don’t ‘shut up,’ he concluded.

(fdl/fdl)