Two-wheeled luxury sells, too: Romanians buy 2,000-euro bicycles

Romania's bicycle market, put at 60m RON annually, has attracted two new players in the past year, which focused on the high-end segment, where the average price of sold bicycles ranges between 500 and 1,000 euros per model. After the summer season, which is when sales peak, companies are looking at their figures.

Moş Ion Roată company, owned by Emilian Bituleanu, chairman of Libra Bank small bank, together with his wife, sold 400 Felt bicycles at an average price of 500 euros, in the six months after opening the showroom.
The company's representatives, the only importer of Felt bicycles domestically, say the financial results are weaker than the ones expected at the beginning, and the peak season in the industry is over. "(...) We'll probably end the year with turnover worth around 850,000 RON," says Roxana Bituleanu, manager and partner of the company.
The most expensive bicycle sold by the company cost 2,000 euros, around seven times more than the most expensive bicycle sold by Carrefour this year.
The newcomer on the market, in late April, is Velorbis Romania, bringing Velorbis bicycles domestically. The price of a unit ranges between 2,910 RON (680 euros) and 4,400 RON (1,030 euros).
"Our target for the first year stood at 50-100 units. As we opened in April, we managed to reach our target in just six months", said Mircea Colotela, country manager with Velorbis.