Behind the scenes
Swiss population now fixing their own bikes
by Alex Hämmerli
Switzerland saddles up. Will we run out of bikes soon?
8.2.2021
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
The pandemic has triggered a worldwide bicycle boom. Due to the enormous demand, there were some shortages last autumn. This year, availability is expected to become limited by summer at the latest.
As a result of social distancing, we’ve been switching to cycling by the dozens.According to a study by ETH Zurich (article in German), in March and April 2020, we cycled almost three times as many kilometres as before the lockdown.
This trend is making itself known in retail. On Galaxus, bicycle and bicycle accessory sales more than doubled last year. And starting in March, every single month recorded sales higher than in August 2019 – the previous record month. «2020 was a crazy year for us,» says Oliver Rinderknecht, who’s responsible for expanding the selection of bicycles at Galaxus. «In the summer, 90 per cent of suppliers were sold out, and by the end of the season, we were almost out of bikes, too.» According to Oliver, even in the winter, demand barely bottomed out, «and this year, sales are continuing uninterrupted.»
Last year, the yellow jersey was won by the e-bike; Galaxus sold nine times as many electric bikes in 2020 as in 2019. And those who purchased this alternative to public transportation were also prepared to dig deeper into their wallets than in previous years; turnover increased tenfold compared to 2019. By now, every third bicycle sold on Galaxus has an electric motor.
Biking instead of surfing
Especially in the warm months, trekking bikes also raced ahead. Turnover was up 340 per cent over the entire year, and revenue rose by a whopping 520 per cent. This boom is likely connected to the travel restrictions. «Instead of going on a surf trip to Bali, many people opted for a bike trip through Switzerland,» says Rinderknecht.
And use their bikes they did. Sales of bicycle tubes, cleaning and care utensils, pedals, tyres and bicycle tools were three to four times as high as last year. A sizeable portion of this gear was certainly also used by Galaxus customers to make their old bikes ready for the road again.
Slim chance of promotions and clearance sales ahead
Manufacturers have responded to the coronavirus-induced boom by increasing production. Nevertheless, the selection of bicycles is likely to be meagre by summer, at the latest. Depending on the weather and the course of the pandemic, the expected shortage may even hit as early as March or April. According to Rinderknecht, hardly any retailers were able to order the desired quantities for the upcoming large springtime deliveries. In addition, components such as frames, forks, brake pads or gears are in short supply, which is why bike manufacturers can’t just ramp up production at will. «Some manufacturers are booked all the way up to 2023,» says Rinderknecht.
Buyers for Galaxus expect the bike shortage this year to also extend to spare parts and accessories. «Currently, it takes anywhere from several weeks to several months for a container full of seats to be loaded up at the harbour,» Rinderknecht points out. And prices are also likely to rise due to the shipping container shortage. In January 2020, the price of transporting a 40-foot sea freight container from Shanghai to Hamburg was around $1,000. In December, it was already five times that.
As a result of the shortage, promotions and sales are very unlikely this year. Because manufacturers are faced with higher purchasing costs for components, as well as higher production and logistics costs, bike prices are expected to rise already in the near future. Rinderknecht’s advice: «Anyone flirting with the idea of buying a new bike would be well advised to purchase it as soon as possible.»
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Alex Hämmerli
Senior Public Relations Manager
Alex.Haemmerli@digitecgalaxus.chAt Digitec and Galaxus, I’m in charge of communication with journalists and bloggers. Good stories are my passion – I am always up to date.
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