LondonClassic
Retro Guru
Of course - and they'll be a must have bike in 2055 with a name on the frame we'll not have heard of. My point is nobody alive in 2055 to remember Raleigh's heyday so why should the brand have any value then?
Raleigh losses.
- Thread starter Rapparee87
- Start date
Up until 5 or 6 years ago Raleigh were investing in their successful wheel building business in Nottingham.
https://bikebiz.com/raleigh-uk-to-invest-in-more-wheel-building-machines/
https://bikebiz.com/raleigh-uk-expands-wheel-production/amp/
https://bikebiz.com/raleigh-uk-to-invest-in-more-wheel-building-machines/
https://bikebiz.com/raleigh-uk-expands-wheel-production/amp/
highlandsflyer
Retro Wizard
- Feedback
- View
My point is that they are here now, so they are well placed to be here then. Legacy or not.
bikeworkshop
Old School Grand Master
Bikeworkshop ltd, in Bristol, was studied by Bristol University looking at businesses that aren't trying to grow - its unusual enough to warrant academic attention, apparently
If you grow you can reach into new opportunities as other areas come under threat - but its impossible to grow forever.
On the other hand, look at brand that have managed a century or more of growth and success, like Ford, tate&lyle, Panasonic
I'm sure there are a lot but it's hard to find one that haven't been taken over by a conglomerate.
If you grow you can reach into new opportunities as other areas come under threat - but its impossible to grow forever.
On the other hand, look at brand that have managed a century or more of growth and success, like Ford, tate&lyle, Panasonic
I'm sure there are a lot but it's hard to find one that haven't been taken over by a conglomerate.
Yes Raleigh produced a lot of wheels. Were they profitable? Doubtful……those machines are expensive to buy and factoring in the wages of the wheel assemblers
P5 looked better. The non coupe version
Cloverleaf
Retro Guru
- Feedback
- View
I think quite often with outside investment there's a desire to continuously improve returns, and see even diminished growth as a negative. Patagonia sadly have become very bougie amongst a certain group but their products were always solid, and their ethics strong. I don't agree with all their political grandstanding but I do like that they aren't trying to take over the world. What does the world do when their profits reduce? Treat it as though it's the worst thing ever and that they are in trouble, not that they've continued to treat their staff well in the face of diminished spending, and that it's tantamount to going out of business. Sustainable business practices are very far from the tongues of most companies and pretty much all investment groups. I applaud you for doing what you do and just keeping it steady, there's a lot to be said for that.Bikeworkshop ltd, in Bristol, was studied by Bristol University looking at businesses that aren't trying to grow - its unusual enough to warrant academic attention, apparently
If you grow you can reach into new opportunities as other areas come under threat - but its impossible to grow forever.
On the other hand, look at brand that have managed a century or more of growth and success, like Ford, tate&lyle, Panasonic
I'm sure there are a lot but it's hard to find one that haven't been taken over by a conglomerate.
The other thing with all this is that there's a big difference between adaptation and growth. You can keep a business at a sustainable size and simply adapt to what the market wants, although if you're a one man band or other small operation and have enough business in your happy space to stay there then why change? Look at some of the performance tuning businesses which specialise in particular cars; like Litchfield were instrumental in Impreza tuning 20+ years ago, but as the owners of them dropped down the income ladders they started to move into other things like Skylines. The same with Graham Goode Racing. They are bigger, yes, but they haven't grown exponentially, they've just moved with the market while still staying true to their core knowledge and segment. If an investment firm came in and bought them it would have been 'let's have centres all over the UK, let's do every car in existence, let's advertise everywhere, and let's try to put every other tuner out of business so we can increase market share even if it costs us lots of debt to do it'.
bikeworkshop
Old School Grand Master
Like Wiggle Chain Reaction
Put 100s of shops out of business, those collected bits of knowledge gone for ever.
They increased market share until they were the world's biggest cycle retailer.
But they never made any money, and eventually the banks said "no more".
Some of us outlasted them
Similar threads
