Let's be honest: finalising pre-orders is the most stressful moment of a retailer's year. You commit a large part of your budget to a product you have often never seen, and then hope it arrives before the customer you promised it to loses patience - late deliveries deserve their own article. How can you enter conversations with brands as a strategic partner, rather than someone who simply takes orders?
The on-off reporting on whether hostilities in the Middle East will end is causing significant business uncertainty. Moreover, the heavy reliance on deliveries of parts and components from Asia leads to major cost fluctuations. As this uncertainty persists, suppliers and bicycle manufacturers will factor this into their pricing. The consequences are ultimately higher costs and higher bicycle prices in stores, as evidenced by the most recent Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI).
The market has finally reached a renewed level of stability. Despite global economic uncertainty and disruptions in recent months, overall confidence remains stable to moderately positive, as shown by the latest Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI). Following several years of exceptional volatility, the industry can once again look ahead with greater confidence and focus on sustainable growth and future development.
The spike in oil prices has drastically changed the market outlook. Raw material prices plus the costs of production and logistics have been affected by the geopolitical situation. The high fuel prices worldwide could also attract more people to start cycling. Are you prepared to adapt to the new situation? The Global Bicycle Purchase Index (GPBI) will provide you with these insights next month.
Besides the inventory crisis affecting demand and external markets nipping at export market share, the Taiwanese bicycle industry has also been forced to look inwards at its manufacturing practices following an exposé report on migrant workers' conditions. Now, 15 months later, a new follow-up report has been published, specifically focused on the bicycle industry. It details how at least 10 manufacturers have adopted no-fee policies in 2025, but there is still a long way to go in transforming policy into practice.
Patent protection sits at the intersection of market competitiveness and innovation in the bicycle industry. In global supply chains, intellectual property (IP) rights can determine who controls a technological advancement and who gets locked out of it. Companies interested in getting ahead are turning to patent protection for both hardware and, increasingly, software.
