Bicycle brands, suppliers, and retailers gathering at key industry events - uncertainty and optimism

Ryan Atkinson has continued his travels and brings us the latest in how brands, suppliers, and merchants in bicycle retail are feeling during some uncertain times. There are bright spots and some optimism, particularly among retailers. Themes from industry eventsBicycle Leadership Conference (suppliers)NBDA Retailer Summit (both) - join the Midwest event in Bentonville in MayCABDA West (both)Uncertainty among suppliers, optimism with dealersTariff confusion and frustrationThrottle electric bikesUsed and pre-ownedTap into health/beauty, active lifestyle, prioritize healthProfitabilityEcommerceMarch online sales performanceUS sales +9% and orders +7%CA sales -18% and orders -32% (sporting goods generally -6.9%)Dollar growth was fueled by road and mountain bikes, plus the surprise performance of comfort and commuter bikes. Electric bikes had a surprising slump.CA non-essential discretionary down, calls from concerned clientsUS consumers getting ahead of tariffsCyclingnews article on DeMinimis (Ryan’s rant)Bummed how they characterized Bob Margevicius’ testimonyBob is a VP for SpecializedHe’s an exceptional representative for our industry on trade issuesNobody knows EU, Asian, and US manufacturing/trade as wellTireless contributor and just awarded PFB lifetime achievement awardAuthor conflated legitimate tariff frustration with DeMinimisDeMinimus exemption increased to $800 in 2016PFB has lobbied for change sinceReason for so much cheap product disrupting IBD marketCheap D2C electric bikes, cheap helmets and lights on Temu, etcUnsafe for consumers, erodes value proposition for retailers, takes away high margin retail salesI want to encourage listeners not to spread click bait rumors just because they think the headline gets attentionBe sure to email your questions to [email protected]. We read all emails sent, and we look forward to hearing from you.If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email [email protected] or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email [email protected] Us on LinkedInMark Still, Senior Business DevelopmentDavid Martinez, Key Accounts AdvisorWe also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email [email protected].