The warehouses at the bike dealers are full and are getting fuller. To understand this, you need to look back. Because only a short time ago there was a bicycle boom in Switzerland.
Martin Platter, managing director of the Velo Suisse importers’ association, explains that more goods have been ordered as a result of the velo boom. In addition, there were production losses in some factories in Germany or Asian countries and the transport routes were not always guaranteed. The combination of these factors has thrown the whole system out of step.
If they couldn’t find it from their local suppliers, they also ordered it from others.
Traders ordered far more goods than they needed to avoid the supply bottlenecks. According to Platter, necessity made people creative: “If they couldn’t find it from their local suppliers, they ordered it from others as well.” As a result of these multiple orders, the market was overbooked by a factor of two or three.
The acknowledgment will follow with a delay
In the meantime, the Corona situation is relaxed. Supply chain problems are becoming fewer and the demand for bicycles is also declining. Nevertheless, due to the multiple orders, the warehouses are filling up. Martin Platter is now annoyed by the late arrival of the products: “These orders are now slowly trickling in, of course with a very long delay. That’s pretty annoying. »
These orders are now slowly trickling in, of course very heavily delayed. That’s pretty annoying.
The specialist shops hardly had a choice during the pandemic and yet they are now faced with a problem. In other words, while bikes or accessories were in short supply during the pandemic, they are now readily available. In order to empty the warehouses, individual retailers now feel compelled to offer the products at discounts.