BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — IBDs saw growth in merchandise dollars, units and average retail-selling price in April compared with the same month last year. According to Leisure Trends Group's RetailTrak IBD sales summary, total sales dollars grew 2 percent, and units and average retail-selling price increased just under 1 percent compared with April 2013.
A 5 percent growth in bike unit sales pushed dollars up 2 percent to $204 million, but the average retail-selling price for bikes dropped 3 percent overall. This was due to a 10 percent slide in road bike prices to $1,458 per unit, which is the lowest since June 2011. While road units increased 2 percent in April, dollar sales in the category slipped 8 percent to $66 million.
In the off-road category, mountain bike unit sales fell 4 percent compared with a year earlier, but dollars rose 2 percent to reach $57 million. Most of the growth can be attributed to strong sales of 27.5-inch wheeled bikes, which increased to $7 million in April. Twenty-niner sales fell 5 percent to $32 million, and 26-inch mountain bike sales continued to slide, dropping 15 percent to $19 million.
Transit/fitness and lifestyle/leisure bikes also grew in dollars, up 15 percent and 6 percent, respectively. A standout in the accessories category in April was helmet sales, which grew 26 percent in units. But apparel sales fell 9 percent to $15 million, its lowest April level in at least three years.
So far in 2014, IBD merchandise dollars are up 1 percent to $911 million from a year earlier, with every major category experiencing dollar growth of at least 2 percent — except for aftermarket parts, where dollars have declined 4 percent in the first four months of the year.
April 2014 vs. April 2013:
- All bicycles: +2%
- Road bikes: -8%
- Mountain bikes: +2%
- Transit/fitness bikes: +15%
- Lifestyle/leisure bikes: +6%
- Shoes: +3%
- Apparel: -9%
- Aftermarket parts: -2%
- Aftermarket accessories: +2%
