Milestones in the development of the bicycle industry are examined from its origins in the 1890s through the BMX and mountain bike booms of the past 20 years. The industry that has emerged broadly comprises manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. This paper concentrates on the wholesale industry because of its importance as a link in the flow of information from the customer through to the manufacturer. Wholesalers are required to have a perspective on the overall Australian market for bicycles. The bicycle wholesaling industry is initially looked at from a macro perspective. The primary functions carried out by wholesalers are examined. Information that wholesalers use is reviewed and suggestions made for other sources which could be available. Possible uses of such information include assistance in estimating demand for cycling for transport planning purposes as well as development of promotional and product specification strategies for the bicycle industry. Aggregate revenue and unit sales estimates, together with estimated distribution of sales according to type of bicycle, are developed - based on available data. Trends in bicycle sales are difficult to identify due to the lack of consistent or accurate information. (A)
Abstract