Buzz Lightyear beats bicycles?

The cold weather in the run up to Christmas prompted parents to buy popular indoor games and toys such as Buzz Lightyear for their children over bicycles, according Britain’s largest bicycle retailer.

Halfords holds an estimated 14 per cent of the cycle market in Britain and sells over 1m bikes a year, but sales of bicycles suffered a 16 per cent drop in sales over the Christmas period.

Speaking to The Times, David Wild, Halfords’ chief executive, described the trend as a temporary “market phenomenon”.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The start of the ‘cycling season’ in Spring will reveal whether these sales have been lost or simply deferred until the weather improves.”

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