the motorcycle helmet market | Italy

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Motorcycle helmets are a specific category of protective helmets. To be sold and used as such, a helmet must meet specific Italian and/or European regulations. For example, helmets sold for cycling, skiing or any other activity will not be approved for use on a motorized two-wheeler.

The world market for motorcycle helmets is growing slowly, and the Italian market is experiencing a similar trajectory in terms of sales, showing since 2009 a downturn, except for the period 2015-2017. In the last few years, though, the Italian market has shown a steady recovery, in parallel with the positive performance of the motorcycle market as a whole (+41,2% as of Q3 2020), which undoubtedly drives the sector.

In Italy the demand is steadily increasing especially due to the strong growth in terms of numbers of users. Motorcycles which have been historically limited to specific segments of the population, have been progressively able to gain traction also among unconventional and overlooked clusters. An additional push in demand comes from the high renewal rate that those products are associated with, since they normally need to be replaced approximately every five years to ensure their effectiveness. This feature favours the dynamism of the market.

The supply side must be constantly evolving in order to keep up with this increasing demand pull, and respond accordingly to new customers preferences in terms of originality, safety requirements and design of the products.