Last year was an extremely unstable and unpredictable year for retail. Forecasting and planning in business became almost impossible to tackle, as high street shops were forced to close and people had less incentive to buy. However, with the majority spending a lot more time at home, unable to go out, we saw a surge in people buying into the health and fitness industry, with exercise machines and cycling equipment sales going through the roof.
The impact of COVID-19 on both the US and UK cycling industries have seen sales increase by 60% since March 2020, with the UK cycling industry alone expected to be worth around £5.4 billion. E-bikes in particular saw a stark increase in sales, with twice as many e-bikes being sold than the year before.
What is the BOSCO™ Index?
The BOSCO™ index is a measure of how well you are exploiting your digital opportunities compared to your competitors. The index is computed 0 – 1000, with 500 being the median score.
A score of 1000 would mean a domain is the only competitor in that country and category, 0 would mean the domain has no offering online. Using cutting edge data science, BOSCO™ pulls in third-party data for the domains to rank and compare their paid search and SEO offering and each website’s online performance.
Here’s how we scored the brands
We ranked leading retailers in the cycling industry for both the UK and US markets for the months of February to March. Here’s how the top 5 scored on the BOSCO™ Index league table. Download the league tables below to see the full results.
UK cycling industry
Topping the UK league table with the highest BOSCO™ Index is Wiggle. From our research, we’ve found that Wiggle regularly update their blog with insightful articles, advising their audience on what the best source of energy is for running, cycle and running routes and other content relevant to their customers. This is what makes Wiggle stand out as a retailer, focusing on providing useful and practical content that directly respond to their audience’s immediate needs and wants.
As well as this, Wiggle have very active Facebook groups which provide a space for their audience to chat and share their views and stories on a common topic. Wiggle is a good example of how a customer-centric marketing approach that benefits their audience, can promote them as a brand and encourage their audience to convert.
US cycling industry
Similarly, topping the US league table with the highest BOSCO™ Index is Cannondale. On both sites, we’ve seen much more informational content such as an in-depth guide to electric bikes, including which sort of bike is right for the user. Their range of bikes is well detailed, with strong descriptions on each accompanied by clear photography.
Their social presence is strong, interacting with their active audience. Using high quality videos and photography that’s not just driven towards selling their products.
How does your business stack up on the BOSCO™ Index? BOSCO™ uses third party data and machine learning to benchmark your digital marketing performance against your closest competitors.
If you would like to try BOSCO™ for free or to book a personalised demo to find out how our platform can work for you, click here.
