Broke that watch, buy a new one. Holes in your shoes, buy new
ones. That may have been the modus operandi for most people in the
past, but with an economy in the doldrums, many repair shop owners
said business is better than ever.
Gilroy
Broke that watch, buy a new one. Holes in your shoes, buy new ones.
That may have been the modus operandi for most people in the past, but with an economy in the doldrums, many repair shop owners said business is better than ever.
“We have not slowed down one bit,” said Mike Brownfield, owner of Vacuum Center of Gilroy. “We are so busy. Business is very, very good.”
Brownfield has been in business for more than 30 years and often walks into his shop in the morning with at least 20 machines to repair.
“When times are tough, people get things fixed,” he said. “When times are good, they’ll go out and buy new ones.”
But there’s one caveat to the apparent prosperity of repair shops in tough economic times, Brownfield pointed out: he sells vacuums – a necessity good, not a luxury item.
Less than two blocks down Monterey Street, Larry DeMoss’s repair shop is suffering.
Clocks and Collectibles isn’t doing so well these days, DeMoss said. Six months ago, DeMoss – who repairs and deals in used clocks and watches – had three to four months of jobs backlogged. Today, he’s in bad shape just like everyone else, he said, and only has a few days to a week’s worth of jobs backlogged.
“Business is down pretty bad,” he said. “Clocks and watches are luxury items. If people don’t have any extra funds, they’ll let them lay in the drawer or hang on the wall.”
Fixing a grandfather clock isn’t exactly most peoples’ top priority when they can barely scrape together a mortgage payment, he said.
His shop is the last watch and clock shop for 25 miles, he said, and he fears he might have to close his doors should the economic turmoil continue.
And Joseph Chun, owner of Shoe Express in Morgan Hill, said his business is down about 25 percent compared to earlier in the year. He repairs watches, luggage – both luxury goods – and, of course, shoes. Although he thought more people would be bringing in their shoes for repair, he’s puzzled that recent business reflects the opposite.
“I don’t know why,” he said.
He has noticed, however, that of the shoes that come through his door, most are of a higher quality. He reasoned that fewer shoes could be because people are buying cheap shoes and throwing them away when they get worn out, rather than investing in a more expensive, but durable, pair.
Meanwhile, Off the Chain Bikes in Hollister, a repair shop and retailer, is experiencing a strange trend, said owner Brian Lucas. He’s used to spikes in business during the summer and around the holidays, but said many people are coming in to buy parts and doing the labor themselves.
Lucas is also working on bicycles he can tell have been out of commission for a while. With rising gas prices, people are dusting off their old bicycles and bringing them in for a tune up.
“These bikes are coming in covered with cobwebs,” Lucas said. “You can tell they haven’t seen daylight in a long time.”
He was caught by surprise when, out of nowhere, his sales figures for 27-inch tires started to climb. These wheels were popular years ago and are no longer the standard tire size, he said, another indicator that people are hauling older bicycles out of the garage.
“I’ve noticed that people are forced to buy a bike because of gas but then they learn they like riding,” he said.
Cruiser-style bicycles suited for short commutes are a popular item, he said.
Business picked up after a dismal winter, but Lucas voiced the sentiment running through many small business and repair shop owners minds: “It’s downright spooky.”
