NEWMARKET, Ontario (BRAIN)—Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) members shipped 14,499 more units to shops last year, a 6.5 percent increase over 2007. Sales revenue rose 9.3 percent over the year.
BTAC members shipped a total of 236,396 units to Canadian bike dealers bringing in $77.316 million U.S. dollars in sales. BTAC estimates its membership represent 65 percent of the overall business done in the specialty channel in Canada.
Hybrid bikes posted the largest shipment gain of the five categories the organization follows, up 7,136 units last year, a 16.6 percent gain. Road bike shipments were also up 11.4 percent.
Canadian suppliers had a much better fourth quarter than suppliers south of the boarder, probably a reflection of their healthier economy. According to the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association (BPSA), U.S. supplier sales fell 13 percent in the forth quarter as Wall Street crashed, record numbers of houses went into foreclosure and credit tightened throughout the U.S. BTAC members saw sales climb a modest 2.2 percent over the same period, exiting the year on a positive note.
