The Pro’s Closet to Shutter
The Pro’s Closet, the online retailer of used bicycles and other accessories, is closing its doors.
An announcement on their website reads, in part: “Friends — it’s time to say goodbye. Thank you for joining us on this amazing ride. Because of all of you, we had an amazing 18 years of changing the way people buy bikes.”
The Pro’s Closet, in the course of liquidating current inventory, is offering up to 75% off all items.
It marks the second high-profile online retailer closure in the past two years. MyBikeShop, which had started as a used bike retailer and pivoted more to newer bikes, closed last year.
Over the course of their 18 years in business, The Pro’s Closet has sold more than 46,000 new or certified pre-owned bicycles. Including components and accessories, The Pro’s Closet served more than 150,000 customers.
In full disclosure, I was one of those customers. I have frequently used The Pro’s Closet, purchasing multiple bikes as well as trading bikes in to their services. I’ve bought road bikes, triathlon bikes, cyclocross bikes, and e-bikes all through The Pro’s Closet — all of them packed well, and in the exact condition as described on the website.
Bike-room.com is similar and still around. Since it’s Europe based, need to pay import tax
The race to the bottom claims another.
TPC did a LOT right. But that doesn’t really matter.
I predict the industry will continue to suggest seminars on merchandising, diversity, and differentiation will somehow heal a fundamentally broken model that has retailers and distributors competing with each other.