One of the questions I frequently receive from customers — especially road and mountain biking enthusiasts — is why is it so difficult to find PureFit Nutrition Bars at their local bike store. Despite  having an excellent track record among the nation’s top 100 bike shops, the majority of bike stores across the U.S. continue to overlook us, and here’s why:

1. It’s the economy, stupid: Bike stores feel the impact of the current ‘down’ economy just like retail businesses in every other sector of society. Just yesterday, for example, we learned retail sales fell for a second straight month in April, which is a disappointing performance that raises serious doubts about whether consumers are regaining their desire to shop, let alone shop for high-end bicycles sold by independent retailers. My educated guess… most bike shop owners are not presently focusing on adding new nutritional items, even if they take up minimal shelf space and are excellent for cyclists.
2. It’s a $2.00 item: Lets face it; bike storeowners and managers like to sell bikes. Reliable and performance-driven bikes cost between $500.00 to $5,000.00 and even more. Bike stores have a tough enough sales job as it is, let alone the wherewithal or desire to educate consumers on the virtues of a $2.00 nutrition bar (which, I might add, won’t melt in its packaging, making it ideal for both road and mountain bikers).
3. It’s all about the cost: That’s right; consumers are buying their nutritional items — like most perishable goods — at the most inexpensive places they can find. This trend has not gone unnoticed among bike storeowners and the employees they hold accountable for buying in and displaying products like PureFit Nutrition Bars. Nowadays, enthusiasts — regardless of what kinds they are (bike, running, kayaking, hiking, etc.) are turning to discount vitamin stores, online retailers, and membership club stores like Costco for the best deals in town. Long gone are the days when bike shops could count on the majority of their customers buying everything for a Saturday morning ride from them. In these economic times, which I believe are far from over by the way, consumers are not only cutting back, but they tend to buy only what they need and at the cheapest prices they can find.
4. It’s all about the shelf space, too: Traditionally, bike stores have not offered a lot of floor or shelf space for nutrition items like nutrition bars. Therefore, the little space available (e.g., racks near the cash register or the counter space upon which you rest your hands during checkout) is highly sought after and usually goes to ‘popular’ brands. Despite the fact that leading trade magazines like Bicycle Retailer recommend bike stores dedicate larger amounts of space to nutritional items such as PureFit Nutrition Bars, not enough do. Ultimately, the bike industry as a whole is giving those sales away to other stores.

Despite our current economic climate and the way some bike shops approach retailing, consumer preference and demand can bring with it an entirely new approach. If you really want to be able to buy PureFit Nutrition Bars from your local bike store, be sure to tell the store’s owner or manager about your preference. Remember, it’s all about what you want!