And this is not just in turnover terms but in relative growth. The figures relate to Dutch IBDs, where the overall bike market has decreased by 8 percent in the first six months of 2003. Whereas big IBDs saw growth of 4.5 percent, the smallest contracted by -2.2 percent.

Euretco research shows that small IBDs are being outperformed by bigger IBDs

Euretco Tweewielers B.V. increased its turnover in Benelux by 48.3percent compared with the same period last year. This is mainly due to the takeover of buying groups Veloring Benelux and Veloring Germany in March of this year.

Veloring Germany has now been restructured and renamed Euretco Zweirad GmbH with the objective of launching the shop formula Profile “der Fahrradspezialist” (the German equivalent of Profile “the Bike Specialist”) on the German market in September 2003.

According to German market research company GfK, the Dutch bicycle sector as a whole noted a decrease in turnover of 8 percent in the first six months of 2003

The smaller shops within Euretco’s Profile “the Bike Specialist” formula are the ones suffering the most.

IBDs with annual turnovers of €280 000 or below contracted by-2.2 percent. Those with turnovers of €280 000 to €650 000 grew by 2.7 percent, and those with turnovers in excess of €650 000 experienced growth of 4.5 percent.

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