Surge in bike sales continues in Poland

Judging by new figures released recently, the surge in the production and sales of bicycles doesn’t look to be slowing down in Poland. Bicycles have become somewhat of a trend after being supported by a number of celebrities and athletes which has had a huge impact on the industry. When compared to the rest of Europe, Poland is now placed third when it comes to bike production.

According to new numbers released by the Polish Cycle Association, nearly one million bicycles were produced in Poland in 2014, a 15% increase from the previous year. May proved to be the busiest month with over 100,000 bikes produced, a whopping 40% increase from May 2013. December was also a busy month with an improvement of 25% from the previous Christmas month.

With production sitting at just under one million, this gives them an 8% share of the European market sitting behind just Italy and Germany; this is a much stronger position than 2011 where Poland were only just in the top 5. 2015 is set to see the one million mark toppled with the amount at May sitting at around 550,000. There is also believed to be over 100,000 bicycles that are not included in the statistics as the businesses are just too small or deal locally.

Poland’s exports have also improved after shipping out 550,000 bikes in 2014 with the majority of these going to Germany, a country that spent around €7 million on Polish bikes last year. Imports of bicycles also increased to over 400,000 units, around 40% of all bikes to various distribution channels; Taiwan remains as the country’s biggest supplier.

The good news didn’t end there though as it is believed that 1.1 million bikes were sold, a 15% increase from 2013. This means that in just six years, Poland’s bike sales have increased by around 300,000 units. It has been a tricky year for producers though as Kross for example, Poland’s bike market leader, sold more than they could produce.

With interest in city and mountain bikes (as a result of pot holes and high curbs) increasing, the average price for a bike also increased to €235 from €180. Over half of all the bikes sold were done so at IBDs whilst over 10% came through sports shops. Warsaw’s PBS Veturilo, a public bike sharing system, also experienced growth and it is thought that around 5% of all bikes are used through this system.

Image provided by: Preview: © Mfron | Dreamstime.com - RZESZOW, POLAND - JULY 30: Cycling Race Tour De Pologne, Stage 3 Photo