The Swiss bicycle market is facing tough times. Several brands from the Alpine country have struggled since the pandemic, with BMC being the latest on that list. Because of decreased demand, the company has filed a preemptive application for short-time work with the competent department for economy and labor in the Solothurn canton.
“The company’s board and management have timely adjusted to this situation and taken preventive measures and necessary adjustments,” CEO David Zürcher has said to the Bieler Tagblatt.
So far, BMC has not received approval to implement short-time work, but indications suggest it will be approved, as it’s no secret that it has been grappling with the usual problems in the challenging bicycle market in recent months. Several employees were laid off in the fall of 2023, and the immense delivery problems of 2022 have had long-lasting consequences. One of the biggest challenges for BMC and other bicycle manufacturers is constantly shifting demand. Corona created a bike boom. But as quickly as demand increased, it decreased again. Bikes are plentiful at retailers.
According to an internal source, BMC expects the ups and downs to stabilize and the situation to normalize, but not for another year.
