Suppliers sold fewer bikes in June compared to last year, suggesting it is unlikely that the industry will recover from weak sales early in the year.
Suppliers were unable to continue momentum from a strong May. Bike sales to IBDs were down 4.1 percent in dollars and down 5.8 percent in units in June compared to the same month last year, according to the BPSA Topline for Cycling RetailTRAK from Leisure Trends Group.
"Catching up to 2012 in the second half of the year looks unlikely” — Michael Forte, BPSA/Felt.
Suppliers remain down compared to last year, though June resulted in slight improvement year-to-date. Through June, suppliers sold 13.4 percent fewer bikes worth 6.8 percent less in dollars compared to the first six months last year.
“June helped gain back some of the losses from the first five months. We were down 7.3 percent for 2013, now it’s 6.8 percent. However, catching up to 2012 in the second half of the year looks unlikely,” said Michael Forte, director of operations for Felt Bicycles and chairman of the BPSA statistics committee.
Road bikes continue to be a weak spot, with dollar sales down 12.4 percent and unit sales down 17 percent this year. But 29-inch mountain bikes continue their upward trajectory. Supplier sales of front-suspension 29-inch mountain bikes were up 17.6 percent in units and 17.4 percent in dollars through June. Sales of dual-suspension 29-inch mountain bikes were up 93.8 percent in units and 49.4 percent in dollars through June.
On another positive note, Forte said inventory has improved since May in both units and dollars. “The good news is that suppliers have brought inventory levels down from 71.7 percent in units over last year to 60.7 percent. The best thing we can do as an industry in the rest of 2013 is to get our inventory levels under control to position us for a good spring in 2014.”
The full Leisure Trends Group sell-in data is supported by dues from BPSA members and distributed to those members monthly.
