Scooter Sales Are Hitting the Skids

After a swift run as the toy of choice for American kids, sales of the formerly high-flying scooters are drying up, leaving retailers with stacks of them at discounted prices. Salespeople at Brookstone Inc., Modell’s Sporting Goods and Sharper Image Corp. stores said they have discounted several brands of scooters since the holiday rush, and they didn’t seem too eager to order any more. “You might see some return in the warmer weather, but otherwise I think everyone has their scooters,” said analyst Kristine Koerber of W.R. Hambrecht & Co. At Brookstone stores in New York, the Razor brand of scooters were marked down to about $80 from about $100 each. While retailers are now attempting to sweep the scooters from their shelves, manufacturers are trying to compensate for what may be a crashing wave. A Razor USA spokeswoman said the privately held company plans to make a splash later this month with three new, high-end lines of Razor scooters priced at more than $149 each.