The aged photographs that line the halls of Columbia Motorcycle Harley Davidson in Vancouver have a way of taking you back to a simpler time; a time when the open road was yours for the taking – that is, if you had a bike.
As impressive as the photos on display are, Columbia Motorcycle co-owner Jason Rogers explained the family portraits are not just for show.
"It's really all about preserving the tradition," said Rogers, whose business recently celebrated its 66th anniversary. "In a lot of ways, we are still that little mom and pop shop."
In an economy where people are looking to cut out luxury items, Rogers said family experience goes a long way.
"We've definitely seen the number of vehicles we're selling drop, but I know a similar thing happened with the economy in the 1980's and business came around," he said. "I'm optimistic that we'll pull out of it."
Rogers said sales are already picking up in parts and repair, as people look to extend the life of their existing vehicles rather than buy new. He said his business has worked to position itself in order to embrace that trend.
"As more and more people go the do-it-yourself route, we're using events to get people to come into the shop," said Rogers. "It's sort of like when you go to Home Depot and they have a free clinic on how to build a deck. That's what we're trying to do."
The shop recently hosted a free clinic on how to winterize a motorcycle – something Rogers said he would like to do again in the coming months. And don't forget about the annual "Ladies Night Out," which promises to give customers man-free holiday shopping later this month.
Beyond the events and community outreach, Rogers said some serious cost-cutting measures have been taken to help ride out the tough economy.
"We've put a lot of focus our inventory management," he said. "There are a lot of big ticket items that we probably should carry but have decided to hold off on until someone specifically requests it. Other than that, we've done little things like contact the phone company to try and negotiate a better rate on our bills. Fortunately, we haven't had to lay anyone off"
Rogers said his business has dramatically cut down on its advertising budget, putting less emphasis on television spots and more focus on the Internet.
"We've advertised on television in the past and it never really panned out that well," Rogers explained. "But having a good website really does work. I also send out an e-mail blast twice a week to our customers and obviously that's free."
At the end of the day, Rogers believes customers will continue to bring their business to Columbia Motorcycle because of the shop's combination of experience and hassle-free atmosphere.
"Our angle is no pressure," he explained. "If a customer isn't ready to buy now, maybe they will be in a year or two. And we hope they'll come back because of the friendly, laid back atmosphere."
Rogers admits many people who stroll into his shop are simply there to admire the hardware.
"If all you want to do is come in and drool, no problem," he said. "I will happily provide you with a towel."
