Although overall volume sales of bicycles have slipped back in the past five years, the market is expected to have increased slightly in terms of units in 2012, as the industry surfed the wave of popularity that was evident in the wake of British successes in the Tour de France and the Olympics, as well as benefiting from continued rises in the cost of vehicle fuel and public transport fares. Value growth has been more consistent in recent years, reflecting a trend towards premium-priced road bikes. Read the full report on Mintel.

Whatever happened to Europe’s retailers of consumer electricals? Two years ago the market had Kesa-owned Comet, Dixons Retail, Best Buy Europe and Media Markt squaring up for global supremacy. Now, however, a combination of the economic downturn and internet competition has thinned their ranks, with little hope of revival. Read the full report here.

The food and drink packaging industry has long been
cast in an unfavourable light for its deleterious impact
on the environment. Despite many companies’ efforts
to reduce the amount of packaging they use to save
money, cut waste and benefit the environment, the
overriding perception is that a lot of packaging is
superfluous. Therefore the onus is on manufacturers
to inform customers about products which feature
reduced packaging, and relay the important role
packaging can play in keeping food fresher for longer
and helping to reduce food waste. Read the full report on Mintel.