Out of business

I had a flat tire on one of my three snowblowers (yes, I need three snowblowers where I live. No snickering, Phillbo.) and figured no problem, I'll just head to the local Ariens place and pick up a new wheel and tire assembly, change it out this weekend when temps are supposed to be above freezing.

The Ariens store is out of business. I was shocked. This is snow country. We get 9 months of winter and 3 months of damn poor sledding. Everyone has a snowblower. Yet with COVID, I guess, an absolute mainstay of the North Country could not stay in business.

Partly, though, when I looked into it, was that people are not buying Ariens as much as they used to. My father bought an Ariens in 1971 and it is only recently retired (my sister has been using it for the past 20 years). People don't buy that kind of quality anymore - they buy price-based units from Home Depot or Lowes. The Ariens dealer couldn't keep a dedicated shop going anymore, not even for repairs. People get parts sent to them or small engine guys do the work that a dedicated service shop used to do, and inventory (parts and blowers) costs a lot of money, so my Ariens guy is gone.

COVID and changing patterns of business kinda converged and poof! I'm seeing that in a number of businesses. The times they are a'changin'.

I do not like what e commerce is doing to the world.

I feel your pain Kevin.

I used to be a dedicated Gravely guy---included in the stable was the biggest Gravely ever made with a 4 cylinder water cooled Continental engine---and then Gravely faded as lower cost alternatives from the big box stores took over the game. The name still exists but not the quality.