Parker brothers close shop

Forum Sponsor
Re: Parker Bros. - done

ride2rideagain said:
I loves me an economics discussion on GTAM.....GDP....Unemployment....

Sad to see Parker Bros go but like mentioned before, businesses must adapt during these times of globalization if you want to compete. Mom and pop stores need to have the mentality of a corporation just to run a hole in the wall joint. It's simple, match everything the corporations are doing and provide the personal touch. People will pay the little surcharge in price if you can do that.

Had Parker matched the business model of say GP or any shop that kept stock and made ordering easy, and combined it with their stellar service, most customers would have paid a little extra to go there. That's why people still go to GP when they can just order online.
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree, but if fewer people are spending less money, then something has to give. Adopting corporate business models and adding a personal touch does not increase the size of the pie.

I personally detest "big box" type bike "shops" that are all clean and organised. I prefer a little grime and grit and disorganisation to sterile orderliness. Show me a weathered dude with grit under his nails, and I'll prefer to deal with him before some kid with a smile. Then I know I'm in a "bike shop" not a marketing display.


​
I prefer to give my business to the local little guys when I can. Sure, I've been to GP bikes and Royal D, to "window shop." I haven't bought a thing from either, because I'm trying not to spend too much money on my bike the last few years. All their fancy displays and friendly staff don't make a difference when I'm being more judicious than ever with my disposable income. The old Parker Brothers on Dundas had soul. I liked shopping there, if only to spend time sifting through the piled up goods, looking for that something special. The staff were always friendly and helpful with me too.

I rarely order on line and if I do, it's because I can't find what I ordered in Canada. Cross boarder shopping is a pain in the butt with delivery issues and tariffs, and exchange issues. I have never seen any value in it because I like to try something on or see/touch it before I buy, but when people are hanging on to their dollars, I can understand how saving a buck or two could motivate some people with an even lower MC budget than me. And I have never had an issue with parts ordered from a small shop being delayed. Usually they are in within a week in my experience, so when I hear horror stories, I can agree that type of thing is not cool.​
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

Paul1000RR said:
So what because people didn't buy from him they deserve whats coming to them? hahahah what kind of business mentality is this?
You aren't entitled to having customers, you have to attract them and keep them. The people who know and understand this keep their business running, ones that don't end up in the gutter every time.

I can't help but remember their "staying in business sale" sign as cycle world was closing down on dundas.
Click to expand...


Actually Paul, my post was in reaction to, and in AGREEMENT with your first post in this thread. I meant that a way a business conducts itself from day to day will eventually have implications.

That said, it is entertaining to see how quickly you look for a good argument. Bravo.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

Damn. One of the friendlier shops out there and close by to boot. Most of my purchases were usually +/- 10% with online retailers, so I can't complain in that regard. They were certainly willing to spend a few minutes to offer advice. No complaints on servicing from this quarter. The few times I needed help, they were there.

"Sure, save yourself a few bucks and think about now, but we are slowly screwing ourselves" (zx600).

Agreed. Competition and globalization have become buzzwords that few really understand anymore. Large businesses operate on a level so far above "the playing field" that the notion itself is laughable. They squeeze governments for subsidies and bailouts, influence legislation, skirt regulation and ethics--that's how they compete. It's amazing small business survives at all.

Less choice is always a bad thing. Thanks for everything Parker Brothers!
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

1304cc said:
Actually Paul, my post was in reaction to, and in AGREEMENT with your first post in this thread. I meant that a way a business conducts itself from day to day will eventually have implications.

That said, it is entertaining to see how quickly you look for a good argument. Bravo.
Click to expand...

so i misunderstood, sue me :)

actually its YOUR fault cause you weren't clear enough. lol (sorry just keeping up with todays mentality)
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

Can't say I didn't see this one coming... Parker Bros has been slowing down for quite some time. Its a shame, but thats the nature of the business. Being a KTM dealer right in the city was an expensive proposition, that's why they couldn't maintain that aspect of the business. After you lose the big name from the sign, it's only gonna get worse from there.

When I got into riding Parker Bros was the place I shopped. I bought a KTM myself there after many years and Dave (and others) were always easy to deal with. I think part of the problem was the size of the shop, and perhaps cash-flow. Aside from parts/accessories for KTMs, they really didn't offer anything different to other shops, except in smaller selection and volume. You can't compare a shop like GPBikes, effectively a big-box store, to the small guys.. when they all get stuff from the same suppliers but at different price-tiers. Frankly Im surprised a place like GPBikes stays in business, in this market, with the kind of overhead they must have! On the other side of the coin, Dave's shop was simply too small and for the longest time focused the core of their business on a niche manufacturer (KTM). It was doomed to fail.

Compare it to success stories like Riders Choice and GP Bikes and you understand how motorcycle businesses strive or fail. John at RC knows his stuff, has a good central location and a good sized store. He also has exclusive rights to a number of products and finds high-end stuff all the time. GPBikes have a massive store and move VOLUME, they also have a flashy new building which attracts customers as well. You wanna shop at a dingy shop the size of a convenience store, or in a beautiful showroom like GP?

After all is said and done- good businesses will strive, the bad ones will fail. Unfortunately it only takes one or two bad decisions to close a shop. I'm certain of one thing: customer service wasn't what took Parker Bros down. No way.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

I remember shopping at Parker Brothers when I first began riding. Staff was friendly, helpful and had great suggestions. When I lived in Toronto, I bought most of my stuff from them.

While it is easy to cast judgement on them, or blame the economy, or blame the ability to get product cheaper from the U.S. at the end of the day, we as consumers are worse off as we have one less option.

Even though I still have a U.S. mailing address, with rare exceptions, I buy all my product locally (thank you Tony @ Bluestreak). Sure I pay a bit more, but when I need help, or that last minute part - he is there. If I support a .com business, who will help me on Christmas Eve when I dropped a fork on the bike and couldn't figure out how to undrop it (it was frozen in place). Tony talked me through it on the phone, not something a .com would do.

Support them now or forever pay the price, and I am not just talking dollars.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

revrandy said:
Support them now or forever pay the price, and I am not just talking dollars.
Click to expand...

Rev, I think your right but your preaching to the choir, a few will see value but there are lots that will never support a local vendor because thier needs are met by other sources.

We have a 7 month season at best, and most purchases happen in a 3-4 month window. That's a lot of downtime if your a one trick pony. Ski shops, marine suppliers, anything seasonal is a hard row to hoe.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

For chrissakes some guy and his family just lost their livlihood. At least let the body stop twitching before bi****n' about him.

The real truth is some businesses and business models run their course. Seen any blacksmiths, horse drawn buggy builders or video stores along your main street lately? Does your town even have a main street any more or is it just the driveway up to the box stores? The fact is a low volume, low margin business CAN'T work anymore. And if you try to compete on price, well there's always going to be someone who will do it cheaper.

With ever rising input costs, government created costs (like family day on Monday), and the unavailability of credit to small business a lot of people come to the realization that they can't continue; better to CHOOSE to close and walk away without hard feelings or debts than to have that choice made for you by a bank or creditors.

It's a really crappy feeling being in the former owners shoes. As for his swipe at cross border shoppers he's likely angry, sad, worried about his and his family's future and feeling mortally wounded. He's entitled vent or shoot of his mouth without some anonmous avatar biker taking offence.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

xrljoel said:
The real truth is some businesses and business models run their course. .
Click to expand...

But the motorcycle business isn't the video store. Some motorcycle shops are still thriving.

GP bikes, Riders Choice, Pro6, Dual Sport Plus, Sturgess in Hamilton etc.

Businesses must adapt.
 
It is tough as a customer to "support local business" when what I am looking for is not available (1) when I, Mr. customer, need it, (2) at the price that I want, and (3) at the quality and quantity that I want. And I am not talking specific about PB here.

How often had you been to a store and not find your size with stock on hand? (Fit - quality that I want)
How often did you have to order in and wait for the item(s) to arrive for pick up? (Time - when I need it)
How often did you find the same item cheaper somewhere else? (price I want)

It's unreasonable to ask me to support a local business on gloves. I can never find a pair of 7S in the premium brands (even at the big stores, it's slim picking).
It's unreasonable to ask me to support a local business when the price difference is staggering (Arai CorsairV helmet, quoted $1095 to $1299 locally, got it for $830 taxes, tariffs and shipping all in right to my door - closest match by "local" business was Canada's Motorcycle online store for $899 before taxes)
It's unreasonable to ask me to support a local business when I ordered a tinted visor for my previous ICON helmet, and it took 5 weeks for it NOT to arrive, and I had to ask for a full refund since I paid for it in full upon ordering (that was at Royal Distributing)

Before I call anyone a hypocrate, how many of the "local supporters" pay full asking price when they walk into a mom&pa shop? everytime you haggle the price and bring it down, you are shrinking their profit margins. This goes for buying a bike from any dealership also... go read the article in Cycle.canada august issue featuring an interview with James - owner of Sturgess.
I do want to support Canadian business, but they need to support my wallet as well. $15 difference to get it locally, on time, and get exactly what I wanted? sure, here's my money.
Definitely sad to see a business close down. It's competitive in capitalism. Take a look at the top 10 S&P and Dow Jones listing and most companies were not there 50 years ago.
I am not totally buying the corporation-bashing either. They employ thousands of people locally. Tim Horton's, Canadian Tire, Rona, etc.

Local Business that I support:
Flying Squirrel, Sturgess, Studio Cycle, Oakville Yamaha, Rider's Choice, Heritage Auto & Power, GP, Royal Distributor, Pete's, Canada's Motorcycle, Kahuna, Canadian Tire
 
Last edited:
Re: Parker Bros. - done

"But the motorcycle business isn't the video store. Some motorcycle shops are still thriving."

I shop at GP Bikes (nearly exclusively). They are a high volume shop, have invested millions in a new facility and are a multi brand dealer specializing in European marques and quick turn used bikes. They don't have to sell atvs, smowmobiles, or lawn and garden equipment. They carry huge volumes of accessory inventory, most of it with high brand name recognition. I have NEVER had a bad experience there, and bought a 2012 KTM 990 SMT (plus accessories) there last May. They had 2 sitting on the floor and the fact it was available right away without being ordered in and was discounted made my decision easier. They are successful because they have the resources and the ability and desre to deploy them in this way.

But it's not an adaptation, it's a different business model.

Small shops like Parker CAN'T provide what GP provides and therefore can't survive in that marketplace. If they were in a smaller center, like Orange Motorsports in Cobourg they have a better chance but in a populuous area like the GTA it won't work.

Consumers have become more sohisticated. They don't need to wait and don't need to spend extra because it's available "local". Some choose to do so as is their perogative and some don't, also their perogative, and there is no reason for either to be denigrated for it. To compete with the prices available from warehouse based online companies requires an operation like GP or the others who can rely on volume for profitability as opposed to margin.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

xrljoel said:
For chrissakes some guy and his family just lost their livlihood. At least let the body stop twitching before bi****n' about him.

The real truth is some businesses and business models run their course. Seen any blacksmiths, horse drawn buggy builders or video stores along your main street lately? Does your town even have a main street any more or is it just the driveway up to the box stores? The fact is a low volume, low margin business CAN'T work anymore. And if you try to compete on price, well there's always going to be someone who will do it cheaper.

With ever rising input costs, government created costs (like family day on Monday), and the unavailability of credit to small business a lot of people come to the realization that they can't continue; better to CHOOSE to close and walk away without hard feelings or debts than to have that choice made for you by a bank or creditors.

It's a really crappy feeling being in the former owners shoes. As for his swipe at cross border shoppers he's likely angry, sad, worried about his and his family's future and feeling mortally wounded. He's entitled vent or shoot of his mouth without some anonmous avatar biker taking offence.
Click to expand...

So he's allowed to voice his opinion but we are not able to voice ours?
Little hypocritical don't you think?
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

killerkeith said:
Here in lies the problem...

"Back in the 80's/90's...blah blah blah"

Well, you're right. Back in the 80's & 90's we only had the local shop to depend on to get parts. They could treat their shop like a clubhouse, talk down to you, rip you off and get away with it. Where else are you going to go for parts, right? Who are you gonna tell?

Now I can order tires off my phone for less than the local guy and ***** about my lousy customer service to 11,000 other local riders. Welcome to 2013. Time to work on your customer service skills.
Click to expand...

I remember the 80's and 90's a bit differently. If I had lousy service at one shop I could go to one of the next 4 shops in the area. And word of mouth was everything, we didn't need the internet to spread the word. Customer service was equally important then and now. I don't remember letting anyone talk down to me. It was tried occasionally and a voiced opinion of said action rectified the issue instantly.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

A few people have mentioned that the smaller shops can't compete with the bigger shops like GP bikes. GPbikes wasn't always big. They started off very small only selling used bikes in a strip mall. The question is more like is it possible to make a sustainable living with a small shop or do you have to go big ? Some small shops seem to do ok but long term I am not sure if the returns are worth the effort. Big or small it doesn't seem to matter anymore. Look at Mcbrides and Cycleworld. We live in a very different world now. Companies that you would have trusted are gone. When I buy new bikes after I leave my deposit I want to get the bike the next day as the shop could go under at any time.
I bought a bike and many parts from Dave at Parker Brothers. It's sad to see him go. He was an honest likeable guy . Always friendly and knew his stuff. Same with his staff. I could see it was going downhill though. Once he dropped KTM and when the sign fell off and it wasn't fixed I thought there was trouble.
I wonder how much affect GPbikes becoming a KTM dealer had on Parker brothers and Oshawa Cycle . People seem to rave about GPbikes but every time I have tried to buy a bike there they have never budged on list price. Sorry but I dont pay list price for anything. I am not asking for free but you have to at least give something.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

I remember that Parker Brothers taught me all about shamrock tattoos on the cheek on your face and removing the entire rear brake assembly from a street going ZX7R would save weight.

LOL

But, I liked them when they were an accessory shop and not TOO far from me. Great prices and VERY friendly staff. I was sad to see them move and go KTM with stock I didn't really like (KTM had little to do with that).
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

I have been dealing with Parker Bros, even when they were in Windsor.
When they moved here to Dundas St. I was there on a weekely basis.
I honestly don't think they should have moved. I did not like the new location and felt that the size was not worth moving. I'm sure there were other deciding factors that went into the move. Since the move it has been down hill. Less and less customers in the store and less sales.

I have dealt with Dave very much over the past years. I like Dave, he is a great guy.
It was sad when they lost Glen. Glen knew his stuff and he was never properly replaced. Most likely because of monetary reasons.

This is a a bad turn of events. They were a great resource for aftermarket parts.
It is getting harder and harder to get motorcycle parts in the GTA. Which leads myself and many other to buy on line.

I am part of the problem, because I have no issue in driving all the way to Guelph to get a deal at Royal.
Like it has been said, I use my consumer dollars the way I choose.

I don't know why Dave's business has fallen off. I feel very sad for Dave.
I hope he will be OK when the dust settles.

Good luck my friend.
 
Re: Parker Bros. - done

"So he's allowed to voice his opinion but we are not able to voice ours?"

You know HIS name, he doesn't know yours.

He's lost a lot more than you.

Everybody's entitled to express their opinion, but if you're going to "call" someone out I think more than your first name is in order.

Maybe your experience was craptacular, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that what you say is true and accurate and that you were entitled to be ****** off and offended but, yeah I think he gets a bit of a pass given his situation.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom