State of the industry: a running thread

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Although the thread title has changed, news from Signa are getting worse. Today another german subsidiary has filed for insolvency and rumours say the whole network of companies ist about to crash 💥
 
Although the thread title has changed, news from Signa are getting worse. Today another german subsidiary has filed for insolvency and rumours say the whole network of companies ist about to crash 💥
The stock at Wiggle/CRC is clearly running out looking across the site.
 
Just posting these two graphs. First is number of bicycles sold in France, Second is value of sales figures.

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In all honesty, I can't explain these figures - especially from around 2014.

More expensive Gravel Bike and Ebike fashion perhaps? Covid bike tax seems more apparent. By mid-2022, at least here, the pinch would have put many people off buying a bike - presumably and especially if you had an older mindset of bike prices.
 
Don't live beyond your means, it's as simple as that.
Caveat: I don't necessarily disagree with what you are saying in principle, however:

You can be just about managing, dealing with a very tight budget but with no savings, and find yourself out of work, or your hours reduced, at which point you are living beyond your means, because you have to. You can't pay less for rent, you can't save money on bills, or food when everything is budgeted to the penny, you may be eligible for some interim help from the government, but this has become increasingly complex to navigate (on purpose) and is paid out in a time-frame that is unworkable for most people in this situation. There are an awful lot of people for whom any small rises in costs of utilities, rent, food, childcare, travel costs tip them over to not being able make the books balance month to month, even in couples who both work.

Anyway, that drifted off topic, back to the bike trade and just how fecked it is.
 
@greencat... but only in the summer of course at which point they get out their winter car, you know the old Merc AMG etc. they come in my shop and plead poverty, honestly it drives me mad, yes they have bills like the rest of us but they have the ability to get rid of a car or 2. one guy plead poverty a while ago...

This is just a negotiating tactic btw. It may stick in the craw, but likely this is perhaps partly why they have expensive toys because they try to negotiate prices down hard for everything they buy.

I had a guy buy one of my bikes turn up in a BMW, and try the same. Said they needed a bike for getting around as car was broke. I simply told them I was sorry for their circumstances, this probably wasn't the bike for them and offered them another runabout suitable for commuting for £50. Needless to say, they didn't want that - but they sent me all kinds of guff over the next few days, finally bought the bike at a price I was happy with, and then promptly tried to flip it on eBay. I simply assumed I'd been given a fantastic education, and more than a little entertainment, in negotiation. Strangely enough they no longer seem to be flipping bikes...

Money can go quite far even at the low end nowadays. This is by no means a BSO:

https://www.blacks.co.uk/16238196/compass-barbrook-ladies-heritage-bike-16238196/3693495/
 
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