Ryan McMillan - CEO BikeExchange
"The situation on the German bike market has changed noticeably in recent months. While the stocks of participating BikeExchange dealers were fairly empty at the start of the season in May, the stock situation for consumers has improved significantly in autumn and the latest bikes and e-bikes are once again immediately available. For many retailers, this turnaround at a time of low demand means that they have to sell off the increased stocks quickly, which increases the price pressure on the market. This is why retailers are currently more willing to entice customers with discounts."
Sebastian Tegtmeier - Director of Customer Experience bike-components.de
"After the boom years of 2020 and 2021, the industry is currently facing the complete opposite, which online retail, as the direct link between industry and customers, felt first. In addition to the cyclical restraint in consumption, it is also the signals from producers that are giving pause for thought: There is already far too much product on the market and the number of cancellations is increasing on the part of OEM suppliers (original equipment manufacturers, editor's note)."
"Ultimately, this will lead to price wars that may be attractive to consumers in the short term, but in the medium term and inevitably, not all brands, manufacturers and retailers will survive this crisis. As many retailers sold current goods to end customers below the retail price around Black Friday in particular and there are still large quantities on the market, I don't believe that prices will fall much further, but I also don't believe that they will recover in the short term."
Andrés Martin-Birner - CEO and co-founder of BIKE24
"Although we are of course also feeling the effects of the subdued consumer climate, we continue to see a positive trend in the European bicycle market in the medium and long term, and we also see this in the short term in the high-end segment. This is because the increased cost of petrol in particular means that bicycles are becoming more popular for everyday journeys. Prices for bicycles and accessories are expected to rise slightly."
Burkhard Langen - Bike dealer Langens Schöne Welten
"Most retailers have only recently received the goods ordered in 2022, and in some cases still from 2021. The season is over, retailers can't sell their goods and have to pay the manufacturers. They need liquidity, which means they will reduce their goods mercilessly. This will have an impact on the entire market: All dealers will have to contend with margin cuts and price wars. The bicycle trade is facing a difficult time."
Bicycle market: More bikes, more discount
Bikeexchange.de is an online marketplace for bikes, parts and accessories where up to 350 retailers offer products from around 330 different brands. Supply and demand changed significantly in the period between May 2022 and November 2022:
The number of bicycles on offer has increased by 90 %. At the same time, the discounts granted have risen from an average of 2.8 % to 9.2 %.
