DAHON North America Inc. (China) - DAHON Reports 50% Online Surge Following Easing of Coronavirus Lockdown in China.

The world leader in folding bikes, DAHON, have announced increased sales in China compared to the same period last year, after the lockdown has been partially lifted for most cities except Wuhan. Online sales especially increased by 50% in March alone, which is higher than last year's total sales for the same period.

The quarantine measures due to the Coronavirus pandemic appear to have increased online shopping, especially as many department stores were closed. The current foot traffic drop-off to stores demonstrates a big threat for companies which are not able to sell their goods via ecommerce. Online sales have seen significant growth in general, with the majority of increasing transactions being household and healthcare products. See Statista (March 2020) for further details on the products and services where people have spent more than usual, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this in mind, people may conclude that making the switch to commuting by bike is not only a convenient way to practice social distancing. Where safe and possible, it can be a perfect activity to boost mental and physical well-being.

DAHON CEO and founder, Dr David Hon, speculated that: "Consumers are more likely to surf the Internet to buy online during the lockdown, or partial lockdown. Furthermore, many people avoid public transportation for health reasons even when it is gradually returning to normalcy. Other markets may face the same phenomenon soon, hopefully."

Inevitably, the company has of course suffered financial losses through the COVID-19 pandemic but hopes that these learnings offer an opportunity for a widespread shift towards greener lifestyle choices. While the relatively stabilized situation in China is now resulting in increased sales, most regions are still facing challenging times. Nevertheless, the early signs from China show some promise for the global market, along with a timely reminder to sellers to employ a solid ecommerce strategy.