Although there are many similarities in the bicycle market in three countries in Denmark, Sweden and Finland, there are some surprising differences in bicycle sales.
Denmark
According to the Danish industrial organization Danske Cykelhandlere, by the end of 2017, the sales of electric bicycle market in Denmark will reach 498751, compared with 456409 in 2016, an increase of 9.3%.
It is worth noting that the rise of Danish electric bicycle exports. Since 2008, there is not much demand for bicycles outside Denmark, but electric bicycles have reversed this situation. In 2017, the total export of Danish bicycles will reach about 35000 vehicles, including 4500 electric bicycles.
Although the average retail price of ordinary bicycles is 700 euros, the average retail price of electric bicycles is 1700 euros, but electric bicycles are increasingly popular in Denmark, which is also one of the reasons for the growth of Danish electric vehicle market.
Sweden
From September 2016 to August 2017, the sales of Swedish electric bicycles increased by 50% to 67500, with an average retail price of 1650 euros. In just two years, the electric bicycle market in Sweden has doubled.
As a result of the rapid growth of sales, the market share of Swedish electric bicycles reached 12% in 2017. It is estimated that the sales of electric bicycles will continue to rise in the next few years, because the Swedish government has allocated more than 1 billion kronor to promote the sale and use of electric bicycles, and those who purchase more than 1000 euros of electric bicycles will receive 25% government subsidies. It is estimated that from 2018 to 2020, the government subsidies for the Swedish government will be close to 110 million euros.
Now all European countries are following the Swedish government's move. The British government has begun to discuss the use of subsidies to stimulate people to buy electric bicycles. In Norway, a subsidy scheme for electric bicycles has been implemented.
As early as 2016, Cycleurope opened a special production line at the Wahl Berri factory in Sweden to tighten the production of electric bicycles.
"The factory is expected to produce 8000 electric bicycles in 2017," said Tony Grimaldi, President and chief executive of Cycleurope.
It is reported that Cycleurope produces 100 thousand bicycles each year at the Wahl Berri factory in Sweden.
"The future market for electric bicycles may be much bigger than we think," Grimaldi said. The Swedish electric bicycle boom has just started. " Grimaldi hopes that the annual output of its company's electric bicycles will increase to 20 thousand, or even 30 thousand.
Thanks to the growth of the electric bicycle market, Grimaldi says it will increase the number of workers in the Wahl Berri factory, with about 150 people now.
The Finland market has a different view
The bicycle market in Finland is facing great challenges. Finland bicycle sales have been declining in the past few years as consumer demand for personalized products increases and the quality of service is increased. In April 2017 and May, the Finland bicycle market went through a "cold winter", which was the peak season for bicycle sales in the past two months.
According to official data, in the first 8 months of 2017, 230 thousand bicycles were imported in Finland and 30 thousand bicycles were produced locally. Finland trade magazine Sporttimyyj by the import data based on the statistics, the estimated 2017 Finland bicycle sales of about 260 thousand vehicles, will be lower than in 2016 10%.
The Finland bicycle market fell sharply in 2017 and fell nearly 8% in 2016.
In Finland, bicycles are considered a fashionable way to travel. Thanks to government investment, public infrastructure has been improving, and more and more people are willing to ride bicycles to work. The media are also transmitting the concept of a healthy lifestyle to the public, but they do not bring sales growth.
Most retailers blamed the decline in their sales in 4 and May, when the snowfall shortened the time of riding and the sales season became shorter. In 2017, the weather was very cold in 4 and May, and people did not like to ride a bicycle. At present, the decline in sales has not been solved, and the average retail price of bicycles in Finland has risen by about 10%.
It is estimated that the sales of electric bicycles in Finland will increase to 7000 vehicles in 2017, almost two times that of 2016. But the market share of electric bicycles is still low, less than 3%. Electric bicycles have not been popularized among consumers in Finland, and retailers have to invest a lot of energy to develop the market.
