International
Letter From America – Economic Headwinds Bring Dour Outlook for 2023
Sante Fe, US As the year winds down, looking toward 2023 is a daunting task whether as a manufacturer, supplier or retailer. So let’s take a stab at some prognostications and sort out the macro-economic headwinds and the downdrafts wafting through retail. Nonetheless, now is the time to rewrite and rethink forecasts for next year.…
Bosch Unveils New Lighter e-MTB Drive System
Reutlingen, Germany Bosch has unveiled its new Performance Line CX-R Limited drive unit for high-performance mountain bikes. The CX-R Limited is the lightest drive unit produced by Bosch eBike Systems and is equipped with a new Race Mode developed exclusively for the new drive unit. A statement from the company says the limited-edition motor provides…
BirdBike Finally Arrives in Australia
Miami, Florida Florida company Bird Global last month released its BirdBike in the Australian market, for sale through some of the country’s largest appliance and electrical retailers. A year after BirdBikes were launched into overseas markets, Bird announced its two models of the e-bike will be sold through JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and Bike Exchange,…
Green Giant Celebrates Half a Century
Taichung, Taiwan Giant Group celebrated its 50th anniversary last month with a series of events held at the company’s global headquarters in the Central Taiwan Science Park and a strong focus on sustainability. Giant Group CEO Young Liu used the anniversary celebrations to launch the group’s future ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy Cycling for…
PURE Sports Nutrition Launched in Australia
Christchurch, NZ NZ family-owned business PURE Sports Nutrition has signed with Melbourne-based distributor Bikecorp to introduce Australia to its range of natural products. Brother and sister Simon and Marewa Kraak started PURE Sports Nutrition in 2012 after “failing to find sports nutrition products that sat well during training and racing”. “Everything was artificial, full of…
Container Rates Forecast to Drop Below Pre-Covid Levels
Hamburg, Germany Shipping container rates are poised to drop below pre-Covid levels according to a report published this month by Container xChange, an online platform for container logistic companies to book and manage containers. The German company attributed the price drop to a fall in China’s exports in September and global economic downturn, saying market…
POC Moves to Direct Sales Support in NZ
Christchurch, NZ Swedish helmet and apparel brand POC is establishing direct sales support for its retailers in NZ, beginning with snow sports businesses from the start of this month and incorporating cycling retailers from April 2023. “Christchurch-based POC New Zealand, a subsidiary of POC Sweden which launched in 2019 as an APAC regional support office,…
Pierer Industrie Buys Syntace and Liteville
Wels, Austria Austrian motorcycle giant Pierer Industrie AG has acquired a majority stake in high-quality componentry manufacturer Syntace. The takeover includes Syntace’s MTB branch, Liteville. “The innovative strength of Syntace and the expertise of its technical staff is complementary to the Pierer Group, where technology and the transfer of know-how between the business units is…
Sea Otter an Incubator for New European Micromobility Festival
Girona, Spain A new European mobility festival was launched last week as part of this year’s Sea Otter Europe Bike Show. The Spanish city of Girona hosted Sea Otter Europe and the Euromobility Festival (EMF) from the 23rd to 25th September. A Sea Otter statement says EMF aimed to be a catalyst in the innovation…
Fashionable Bike Brand Veloretti Purchased by Pon.Bike
Cloppenberg, Germany Dutch bike conglomerate Pon.Bike announced this month it is acquiring fashionable bike brand Veloretti, also based in Amsterdam. Veloretti is one of Europe’s fastest growing direct-to-consumer bicycle brands, founded 10 years ago and now active in 27 countries. A statement from Pon said Veloretti will “continue to function independently under the leadership of…