E-bikes become UK retail fixture and enter National Statistics ‘inflation basket’

In a sign that the electric bicycle is well and truly a UK retail fixture, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has added e-bikes to its inflation “Basket of goods and services”.

The ONS has a virtual basket of 700 carefully selected items that are “representative of the goods and services that consumers typically spend their money on”. The arrival into that considerable basket will be seen by many pundits as a significant indicator of the status of e-bikes in the UK, despite the likelihood that the majority of the population are still getting to grips with what an e-bike actually is.

The basket is updated annually and takes into account UK consumer habits to maintain the ONS’ accuracy and relevancy of inflation estimates.

While e-bikes are in, other product categories have been discarded at the checkout, with non-chart CDs, digital compact cameras and alcopops ditched.

The ONS said that electric bikes “have become more popular in recent years because of an increased awareness of the environment and personal fitness.”

ONS Deputy Director of Prices Transformation, Mike Hardie, said: “The impact of mobile phone technology continues to resonate with the removal of CDs and digital cameras from our basket, reflecting how most of us listen to music and take pictures straight from our phones these days.

“With many people looking to reduce their impact on the environment, we have also introduced e-bikes, whose popularity has risen significantly in recent years.”

While the UK cycle market will jealously look at Germany’s latest e-bike market statistics, the sector may be buoyed that e-bikes are now officially being monitored by the Office of National Statistics to help measure of inflation.