Piaggio dominates scooter growth

They finished 2008 strongly, further cementing their acceptance as the most chosen scooter brands in Australia with 3,591 units purchased. Comprising the Piaggio, Vespa and Gilera Brands, Piaggio appear to be bucking a number of consumer trends in the challenging economic environment.

Piaggio increased sales by 44.7% over the previous year in a market that increased by 7.6%. This provided Piaggio with an increase in market share from 17.4% to 23.4%. With fuel prices dipping below $1.00, many expected scooter sales would slow. Not the case says Simon Gloyne Piaggio's brand Manager in Australia, "We understand why people might think that, but the factors that drove scooter growth in the past 6 years remain. An increase in apartment living, worsening traffic congestion, unreliable public transport, sky-rocketing parking costs, more concern for the environment & fun lifestyle choices have been strong influences for people to get on a scooter. Petrol prices may have come down but our owners still remain interested in reducing consumption and improving their quality of life. It's never been more fun to do the right thing".