Hundred of bikes once hung from the vertical racks at Sweet Pete’s. More bikes stood side-by-side on the floor. Now, there are a lot of empty hooks and plenty of floor space.
It might seem as if business is booming at the store amid COVID-19. After all, more and more Canadians are looking to pedal power over public transit during the global pandemic, and parents are buying bikes for their cooped-up kids.
But owner Pete Lilly, who has three Sweet Pete’s shops in Toronto, is concerned about the company’s future. Because while bikes are leaving the store, few are coming in. “It looks and feels like we’re going out of business,” Lilly said. “The cupboards are bare.” Lilly’s store in west Toronto has stocked as many as 700 bikes at a time.