The Economic Value of the Bicycle Industry and Cycling in the United Kingdom
Client: Bicycle Association of Great Britain
SQW worked with the Bicycle Association of Great Britain (the trade association for bicycle manufacturers, importers, distributers and retailers) to understand the economic impact of the bicycle industry and cycling.
The bicycle industry generates sales that add value and create jobs, and in our study we estimated what these were worth. More than this, the industry provides the bicycles (and the parts and accessories) that make cycling possible. Simply put, without the bicycle industry, the economy would derive little benefit from cycling.
However, declining bicycle ownership and cycling levels among children raise questions about the future contribution of the bicycle industry and cycling. In a related piece, we discuss how without securing cycling in childhood, it will be all the more difficult for the industry and government to persuade the next generation to take up cycling in later life, and amass all the transport and health economic benefits cycling offers.
