In recent years, especially during the Covid period, the bicycle and e-bike market has experienced extraordinary growth. However, this bubble has deflated and now the sector is experiencing a sales crisis. David Zurcher, CEO of BMC, responded to this problem by venting his anger against the sector in a post on linkedin.
We must take responsibility for a better and more responsible future. Reality is dynamic and adaptable, and our current industrial model is out of step with the times. The time has come to reinvent our industry model to better meet the needs of cyclists and adapt to the new world. We must act collectively and address this larger problem as one. We must change gear and go strong towards the future! – David Zurcher
But what exactly needs to change? Zurcher, later in the post, underlines how a change is necessary in order not to be affected by the market: “There is no sense of pride or satisfaction when talking about our industrial model which I would suggest is old fashioned and not aligned with the reality out there, the reality that is dynamic and adaptive, the true on-demand/on learning model -time that many others have been able to imagine and implement."
Nice words but it is not easy to concretely understand the actions that should be implemented at this moment in order not to be affected by the market. Meanwhile, BMC has reduced its staff and has submitted an application for a reduction in employee working hours (similar to redundancy payments) given the difficult period.
David Zurcher's post was titled 'OUR INDUSTRIAL MODEL IS OBSOLETE! Part 1', so we're looking forward to part 2 to understand if there are any concrete solutions to stem this problem and improve the cycling world in the future.
