Studies on consumer spending by mode of transportation have all reached the same conclusion: People on bikes spend more money… OK so, in some cases, people on bikes spent the same per individual trip as people in cars: but in all cases, people on bikes spent more in the long term – because they make more trips!
It’s an undeniable truth that people on bikes shop more often: A study in Muenster, Germany, found that people on bikes shop more regularly than people in cars… 11 times per month compared to 7 times for motorists; thereby increasing their exposure to temptation on every trip…
Cycling is a generally more civilised and human-scale activity… Thus, people on bikes make more unplanned stops! While pedestrians are the most likely to make spontaneous stops, people on bikes also ride slowly enough to notice businesses, and let’s face it: bike parking is infinitely easier than finding a spot for your car.
And if we break it down in terms of pure lucre: people who ride have more disposable income, because they spend less on all that intensive stuff like car insurance, maintenance, parking, and fuel.
So there we go… To all town planners and council workers everywhere: keep the initiative flowing to get people cycling! And to all you business owners; make sure you cherish your most sustainable, healthy and chilled-out demographic!