Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Covered in this Report
Executive Summary
-
- Bicycle sales values up but volumes stagnate
-
- Figure 1: UK bicycles market, value forecast, 2012-22
- Halfords cements leading position
-
- Figure 2: Leading bicycle suppliers to the UK market, ranked by estimated UK bicycle sales values*, 2016
- Regular cycling participation has dipped since 2014
-
- Figure 3: Regular participation in cycling (weekly or more often), 2013-17
- Leisure is the most popular reason for cycling
-
- Figure 4: Cycling purposes, December 2017
- Benefits to body and mind seen as main motivations
-
- Figure 5: Perceived benefits of cycling, December 2017
- Mountain bikes remain dominant segment
-
- Figure 6: Bicycle ownership, December 2017
- Three in 10 cyclists are willing to spend £500+ on a new bike
-
- Figure 7: Amount cyclists are willing to spend on new bicycles, December 2017
- Areas of opportunity include cycling holidays and personalised bikes
-
- Figure 8: Interest in cycling activities and purchases, December 2017
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Shops need to diversify and take a service-oriented approach to survive
- The facts
- The implications
- E-bikes may offer the best chance to open up cycling to a wider demographic
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Rising prices help to grow market value
- Mountain bikes remain favourite but others gaining ground
- E-bike sales finally taking off from a low base
- Consumer mood likely to remain cautious
- Participation and trip numbers are not rising but cyclists are riding further
- CWIS could be long-term game-changer for cycling
- Manchester following London’s example
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Bicycle sales value up, but volumes stagnating as going gets tough
-
- Figure 9: UK bicycles market, 2012-22
- Forecast
-
- Figure 10: UK bicycles market, volume forecast, 2012-22
-
- Figure 11: UK bicycles market, value forecast, 2012-22
Segment Performance
-
- Mountain bikes remain most popular bike
- E-bikes growing fast from a low base
Market Background
-
- UK retail sales struggle as consumers grow cautious
- Weak Pound pushing up bicycle import costs
-
- Figure 12: Spot exchange rate, Pound Sterling vs euro and US$, June 2016-January 2018
- Cycling is the third-largest activity
-
- Figure 13: Adult participation in leisure/sporting activity in England, 2016/17
- Average trip numbers by bike remain flat…
-
- Figure 14: Average number of trips, by main travel mode in England, 2006-16
- …but average cycling distances have increased
-
- Figure 15: Average cycling mileage per head of population in England, 2006-16
-
- Figure 16: Total mileage cycled in Great Britain, 2006-16
- Safety concerns remain the key barrier
-
- Figure 17: Trends in cyclist accident casualty figures in Great Britain, 2011-16
- New UK cycling strategy unveiled
- London commuting segment has seen biggest cycling growth
- Boardman plan aims to replicate London funding
- Chinese dumping poses a threat to rising e-bike sector
Key Players and Products – What You Need to Know
-
- Halfords’ sales up for past two years
- Other suppliers report largely poor results
- Halfords increases market share and moves into premium market
- WiggleCRC continues to expand with German acquisition
- Tough times for independents
- E-bike innovation
- Cycling gets smarter
Bicycle Suppliers
-
- Halfords on course for further sales growth in 2017/18
- Mainly negative sales picture among other suppliers
-
- Figure 18: Leading bicycle suppliers to the UK market, ranked by estimated UK bicycle sales values*, 2016
Channels To Market
-
- Halfords’ share increasing as independents feel the pinch
- Bike bricks and cycle clicks
- Go Outdoors invests in cycle product before JD Sports takeover
- WiggleCRC acquires major German player
- Other key retail players
- IBDs in decline but service-focused stores still have a niche
Launch Activity and Innovation
-
- E-bike excitement
- Emergence of the smart bike
- Virtual cycling worlds
- Uber for bikes
- The boutique bike shop
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Cycling potential still not being realised
- Millennials and MAMILs remain core customers
- Leisure then commuting are most popular cycling purposes
- Fitness and stress relief are key benefits
- Rising rail fares offer further incentive to cycle
- E-bike interest at same level as road/hybrid/classic
- Four key spending groups for new bikes
- Four in 10 cyclists likely to pay for a service in next 12 months
- Cycling chic
- Holidays on two wheels
- Getting personal
Cycling Participation
-
- Regular cycling participation has dipped over past three years…
-
- Figure 19: Participation in cycling, 2013-17
- …but there is potential to double participation levels
-
- Figure 20: Regular participation in cycling (weekly or more often), 2013-17
- Gender gap shows no sign of closing
-
- Figure 21: Any participation in cycling, by gender, 2015-17
- Cyclist profiles: regulars, occasionals and potentials
-
- Figure 22: Gender and age profile of current cyclists, December 2017
- Cycling customer base is relatively affluent
- Safer roads could unlock cycling potential
-
- Figure 23: Agreement with the statement ‘I'd cycle more often/start cycling if the roads were made safer (eg more protected cycle lanes)’, December 2017
Purposes of Cycling
-
- Casual leisure use is dominant reason for cycling
-
- Figure 24: Cycling purposes, December 2017
-
- Figure 25: Cycling purposes, by frequency of cycling, December 2017
Benefits of Cycling
-
- Fitness and stress management seen as key benefits
- Bike to nature
- Eco-savings
-
- Figure 26: Perceived benefits of cycling, December 2017
- Social and family cycling
- Responsible cycling
Bicycle Ownership
-
- Mountain bikes remain most popular
-
- Figure 27: Bicycle ownership, December 2017
Intentions to Purchase
-
- One in 10 cyclists considering e-bike purchase
-
- Figure 28: Intentions to purchase bicycles, December 2017
-
- Figure 29: Intentions to purchase bicycles among regular cyclists, December 2017
- Emergence of the e-MAMIL
- Healthy market for bikes priced over £500
-
- Figure 30: Amount cyclists are willing to spend on new bicycles, December 2017
-
- Figure 31: Amount cyclists are willing to spend on new bicycles, by demographics, December 2017
- Over-45s most likely to buy new bike parts
-
- Figure 32: Intentions to purchase cycling accessories, December 2017
- Four in 10 cyclists expect to pay for a bike service
Cycling Behaviours
-
- Six in 10 cyclists are self-improvers
- Cycling fashionistas
-
- Figure 33: Cycling behaviours and preferences, December 2017
- Only half of cyclists use the National Cycle Network
- One in three cyclists are using rental schemes
Cycling Opportunities
-
- Cycling holiday potential
-
- Figure 34: Interest in cycling activities and purchases, December 2017
- More than a quarter of cyclists interested in organised group rides
- Pimp my ride
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
-
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
-
-
- Figure 35: UK bicycles market, volume forecast, 2017-22
- Figure 36: UK bicycles market, value forecast, 2017-22
- Forecast methodology
-
Back to top