AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - Contrary to the expectations of many experts bicycle sales fell only slightly in Holland last year. With only 2.5% according to a survey conducted by GfK Retail and Technology BV and Holland’s Central Bureau of Statistics commissioned by Rai (industry) and BOVAG (dealer) associations.

According to the survey, in 2013 a total of 1,008,000 new bikes were sold in the Netherlands; down 2.5 % compared to the previous year. The share of electric bikes in the total sales increased from 16% in 2012 to 19% in 2013. Total bike sales revenue increased by 3.7 % to € 797 million. These figures were published last week just before the opening of the Dutch FietsVAK trade show in Amsterdam.

Higher prices

The average price of a new bike sold at Dutch dealers increased by 2.6% to a staggering 989 euro. Compared to other countries in and outside Europe an average price of close to one thousand euro is bewildering. Of course it is the success of electric bicycles with their on average four times higher sales prices compared to regular bikes that pushes average prices to record highs in Holland.

IBD expertise

The total 2013 revenue from bike sales in the Netherlands (through dealers as well as other channels) increased by 3.7% to more than 797 million euro. In 2013, more bikes were sold at dealers compared to the year before. 68% of all bicycles sold were bought at IBDs; that number stood in 2012 at 66%. The remaining 32% of all bikes sold found their way to buyers through webshops, supermarkets, DIY stores as well as department stores. That the dealer market share is increasing indicates that the Dutch continue to value the expertise and reliability they get at their local shops when purchasing a bicycle. And even more when buying a high priced e-bike.

'Motor of the market'

In the 2013 Dutch market the electric bike proved (again ) to be the "motor of the market". The number of new e-bikes sold increased by a big 9.4% to 192,000 units and this type was thus responsible for 19% of the total sales volume. In turnover terms, e-bikes are responsible for a share of 45.2 %, an increase of 3.1 percentage points compared to 2012. Sales in all other bicycle categories declined slightly.

Tripled e-bike market share

With sales of more than 1 million new bicycles, the public interest in the Netherlands for cycling is undiminished. The popularity of high-quality e-bikes shows that this kind of bike is increasingly considered to be a serious alternative for commuting. The market share of e-bikes in total bike sales in Holland has tripled over the past six years. "In addition," says the Rai/BOVAG 2013 bike sales press release, "the use of the (electric) bike fits the clear perceptible trends of fitness, health, environmental consciousness and lifestyle."