Jo Beckendorff

VIENNA, Austria - With a Corona-related delay, the Austrian Association of Sporting Goods Manufacturers and Sports Equipment Suppliers (VSSÖ) presented its latest year 2019 bicycle and e-bike statistics. It can be best expressed in the crisp short formula, 'units down, value up'.

MUNDERFING, Austria - In a move to give the company's fast-growing e-mobility segment even more clout, on 25 February 2020 Austrian Pierer Mobility AG (former KTM Industries AG) established Husqvarna E-Bicycles GmbH as a wholly-owned subsidiary with headquarters in Munderfing, Austria.

GIVISIEZ, Switzerland - Due to the corona-pandemic Scott Sports SA's e-commerce business reports a strong 48 percent (YTD) website traffic increase. On the back of this impressive number, the Swiss multi-sports company announced further e-commerce targets. Scott plans to expand its strategy "continuously interlocking consumers, retail and the brand" into further key markets - meaning that more consumers will soon be able to order products 24/7 online.

BOCHOLT, Germany - Despite corona-conditioned restrictions in March, traditional German D2C-supplier Rose Bikes GmbH achieved - compared with the first six months of the previous fiscal year 2018/2019 - a double-digit sales growth of over 20 percent in its first half of its from 1 November to 30 April running fiscal year 2019/20. This, according to the company, led to total sales of 56.7 million euro.

HAMBURG, Germany - Multichannel retailer Tchibo GmbH - a German chain of coffee retailers and cafés known for its range of weekly changing non-coffee products and service sales - announced a cooperation with Swapfiets, the Dutch bicycle concept known for its recognisable blue front-tired rental bikes and e-bikes, in Germany. Consumers can rent them via a monthly subscription fee including on-site all-around service.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Just in time for the reopening of IBD stores previously hampered by the coronavirus, e-bike drivetrain supplier Yamaha announces that the OEM e-bike business in Europe will soon be coordinated from Yamaha Motor Europe NV's European headquarters in Amsterdam. It has been previously managed from the company headquarters in Japan. The complete transition is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

NECKARSULM, Germany - At last year's Eurobike, Amprio GmbH's head of drive unit development, Dietmar Greven, stated that the 2016-founded start-up intends to start series production of its own pedelec drivetrain system called "E-Track System" in mid 2021. Meaning that Amprio drivetrains with individual control unit (HMI) and rechargeable battery will first buzz onto the market in 2022. Backed by its parent company Rheinmetall Group the newcomer can now also rely on a comprehensive and customer-oriented logistics and service concept.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - While the corona pandemic forced market leader Shimano Inc. to shift down a couple of gears, two Swedish industry participants, Thule Group AB and MIPS AB, were able to keep their first interim quarter results on a solid (Thule Group) and still promising (MIPS) base.

HOLZKIRCHEN, Germany - After having launched its integrated marketplace successfully in several European countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium, US bike supplier Specialized is launching its integrated marketplace in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DACH region) and Luxembourg.

ZIRNDORF, Germany - Metz Mecatech GmbH and charging technology provider Integrated Infrastructure Solutions GmbH (INTIS) developed what it claims to be "the world's first inductive charging option" for the Metz Moover e-scooter.