One common misconception is that people need to drive a car in order to transport their shopping home.
They cling to the view that we need to let people drive into the heart of the city in order to keep city centre shops alive. However this assumption doesn’t bear out scrutiny.
Cyclists and pedestrians may not be able to transport the large loads that cars can, but they more than make up for that by making more visits to buy fewer items – and end up spending more that drivers:
- Cyclists Spend 40% More In London’s Shops Than Motorists
- Cyclists and Pedestrians Can End Up Spending More Each Month Than Drivers
- Cyclists shop more – debunking the myth of cycling being bad for business
- Why Bicyclists Are Better Customers Than Drivers for Local Business
- Study shows biking customers spend more
And from European Cyclists Federation survey Shopping by Bike:
- In Copenhagen, cyclists create more revenue in shops and supermarkets than car drivers
- In France, a survey in 6 cities found that cyclists spend more money per week in shops than car drivers
- In Davis (California), a study analysing almost 1,900 shopping trips to a new store found that cyclists spend $250 per months, car drivers only $180
The panniers on my bike will happily accommodate two full bags of shopping. In the photo on this page they contain a backpack, a shoe box, and a shopping bag, and there’s still room for more.
And for countless other examples, you can see all the photos on Twitter using the hashtag #shopbybike