FitPro is a by appointment only bicycle shop.  It offers high end bicycles, for several thousand dollars and some mid-ranged cycles, like the one pictured above, for one thousand dollars.  It offers fitting services, but most bicycle shop offer that.  By being by appointment only there is probably only the owner operator involved, so lower labor costs.  It is in Clayton, so rent isn’t cheap.  Having to ask for an appointment might put some people off, possibly losing sales.  

On the other hand, the last bike we bought was for Dan and we bought it by appointment.  We bought it earlier this year from Recycled Cycles.  Paul owns and runs Recycled Cycles out of his house.   He has a website and a garage full of used bicycles.

Neither FitPro or Recycled Cycles are likely to do much trade in accessories, like regular bicycle shops do.  However, regular bicycle shops are being squeezed by Internet mail order house like Performance.  It will be interesting to see how the different business models for the bicycle shop will fare through these troubled economic times.