The bicycle continues to attract people, but the great wave of the last two years seems to have passed. In 2022, total bicycle sales in France fell by 7% or 2.6 million cycles elapsed.
“Demand has not decreased, it is demand growth that has decreased,” said Jérôme Valentin, vice president of Union Sport&Cycle.
For the head of the bicycle industry, several factors explain this trend. In addition to the fact that the French have equipped themselves a lot in recent years, supported by purchase aid, many new brands have appeared in France, at the risk of saturating the market.
“We cannot have 200 to 300 brands on the French market,” says Jérôime Valentin.
One in four bikes sold is an electric bike
While the industry is shrinking overall, electric bikes are growing. In 2022, sales increased by 12% with 738,454 bikes sold in 2022. Pedelecs account for 28% of bike sales. In value, 1451 million euros, or 61% of the bicycle market. Cocorico, more than half of the VAEs sold were produced in France.
“VAE’s growth potential remains considerable”, says Jérôme Valentin
Average budget 916 euros per bike compared to 313 euros 10 years ago. “It’s still the impact of the VAE.”
For electric cargo bikes, it’s an explosion in sales. In 2022, sales reached 33,000 units, representing a growth of 96% (17,000 in 2021).
By 2023, sales could find a new burst and this for logistical reasons. “The stock level is much higher than normal and it will take some time to sell,” Jérôme Valentin announced, advising buyers to take advantage of falling prices. “Today is the time to buy.”
Source: BFM TV
