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Retail sales up 22.3 %

The boom in the bicycle trade, which has been ongoing for years, continued in 2018. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the occasion of World Health Day on 7 April, the retail trade in bicycles, parts and accessories recorded an increase in sales of 11.9 % in real terms in 2018 compared to the previous year.

880,000 electric bikes imported into Germany

The trend towards electric bicycles with a rated continuous power of up to 250 watts is reflected in foreign trade: 880,000 electric bicycles with a total value of 789.6 million euros were imported to Germany in 2018. This corresponded to an increase in volume of 32.3 % compared to 2017. With a share of 23 % of the total imports of electric bicycles to Germany, Hungary was the most important importing country. Other important supplier countries were Vietnam with a share of 17.2 % and the Netherlands with 10.2 %.

Prices for conventional bikes are rising faster than prices for electric bikes

Consumers had to spend more money on pedelecs and e-bikes in 2018 than three years previously: between 2015 and 2018, prices in this market segment rose by 1.8 %. However, prices rose less sharply than consumer prices overall in this period (+3.8 %). In comparison, prices for bicycles without an electric motor rose by an above-average 4.5 % between 2015 and 2018.

Opportunity for bargains outside of the cycling season

Whether with or without an electric motor: consumer prices for bicycles fluctuate slightly depending on the time of year. Bicycles are cheaper around the turn of the year than in summer. If you are looking for good value for money, you can buy cheaper on average outside the cycling season.

Source: Press release of the Federal Statistical Office from 3 April 2019

Keywords:
Stakeholders, Bike-/Velo-City, DE-News, Climate protection, Mobility, Sustainable management, Ecology