The wet and cold May has led to an easing of the supply situation in the bicycle industry. The "bike shortage" that has been widely cited in the media in recent months is now still occurring sporadically.
Spring, and especially May, is key time in the bike industry. This was the case even before the Corona crisis. If the weather was nice each time, the bicycle trade was flooded with repairs and demand for new vehicles. Coveted models were always sold out quickly.
Last spring, this had been accentuated. During the six-week Corona Lockdown, which had seen fine weather throughout, garages were deemed systemically important and allowed to remain open to ensure mobility for the public. This was eagerly taken advantage of for a variety of reasons. In the cities, many public transport users switched to bicycles or e-bikes because they did not want to risk contagion. The two-wheeler also enjoyed great popularity because most other sports were prohibited and sports bars had to remain closed. Added to this were the travel restrictions during the holiday season, which also made people opt for bicycles and holidays in Switzerland.
When physical sales were allowed again on 11 May 2020, bicycle dealers were overrun, leading to the sell-out of certain models and supply shortages of certain spare parts. This was also because the rapidly changing policy decrees had a major impact on the economy and the supply chains. In addition, the bicycle industry suddenly found itself confronted with unprecedented, consistently high global demand, which in turn pushed producers to the brink.
In the meantime, however, the supply situation has returned to normal somewhat, but remains variable from manufacturer to manufacturer. The exceptionally cool and wet May this year has contributed to the normalisation. In previous years, a May like the one in 2021 had led to a sharp drop in sales. This year, demand also fell. The quieter period in the shops could be used to work off the piled-up orders. In the meantime, many shops have reported that they are back on track and can supply customers with a wide range of new vehicles within a reasonable period of time.
However, with the finally beautiful and warm summer weather in the last few days, demand has picked up noticeably....
18 June 2021