Some central Indiana furniture, bicycle shops see sales boost

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Weeks of self-isolating at home has led families around central Indiana to remake their living spaces, meaning a mini-boom for some businesses.

Tyler Ellis and his wife purchased a new bedroom set Friday.

“It feels good,” Ellis, who is from Arcadia, told News 8. “We don’t like to be cooped up any more than we have to.”

“It’s the small things you realize you enjoy after not being able to do them for so long,” Ellis explained.

It’s the same thing for the people of Godby Home Furnishings, in Noblesville. They were closed for about six weeks and reopened on May 3.

“We had no idea whether we would see anybody or not, or what. But quite honestly, since then, it’s been incredible, the reaction,” Jeff Godby, vice president of Godby Home Furnishings, said Friday.

Godby told News 8 sales at their stores are 40% better overall, compared to May 2019. Hot sellers include mattresses, lift-chairs and office furniture.

“People figure if they’re going to be home, they might as well be comfortable, it may as well be beautiful. And you couple that maybe with some stimulus money, couple that with no real plans to travel, let’s just put money into the house,” Godby said.

Just down the road at Motion Cycling in Fishers, bicycles are flying off the shelves.

Owner Chris Carr says there’s a nationwide bicycle shortage because demand is so high.

“Meijer, Walmart, Target [are] sold out of bikes. So, besides our normal crowd that comes to the bike shop, now we’re getting all the Walmart, department store bike shoppers,” Carr said.

The shop was deemed essential during the shutdown, so it has been open.

Carr told News 8 that May bike sales are up 70% compared to May 2019.

“Nobody can go to gyms,” Carr explained. “All they have to do is run, ride or walk outside.”

On a typical Saturday in June or July, they’d sell four or five bikes. Carr said the shop is now selling an average of 10 bikes per day.

Carr said he probably won’t be able to get a new shipment of bicycles until July or August.