State of the industry: a running thread

[Sir Neil d'Menture]

Touché.

 

[Sir Neil d'Menture]

Guess who is thinking about buying Wiggle/CRC?
That's right. Everyone's favourite retailer
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Mike Ashley.

 

[FluffyChicken]

CRC went downhill when they stopped selling Middleburn chainrings ;-)

If Sportsdirect, sorry Frasers get it, then it'll be a better online wing to Evans and brings in triathlon etc.
I have nothing against him, rescued many a brand name.

 

[novocaine]

CRC went downhill when they stopped selling Middleburn chainrings ;-)

If Sportsdirect, sorry Frasers get it, then it'll be a better online wing to Evans and brings in triathlon etc.
I have nothing against him, rescued many a brand name.

Detest his ethics, hate his treatment of staff and political stance, but worse than that, can't stand going into a sports direct, the whole shop just leaves me feeling drained. along side tk maxx, I just wind up wishing for more gin.

 

[CassidyAce]

Oh dear.....so its amazon or ebay knockoffs now ! Good thing wiggle dont sell any parts for my "ancient" bikes!

maybe they shouldn't have so bloody greedy and bought up all that stock at agreed high prices during lockdown.....just to try to put one final nail in the independent coffin!
You reap what you sow.

But im sad for all those losing their jobs in the near future.

I also feel sorry for those who might lose their jobs. And the problems of Wiggle / Chain Reaction / Signa say something significant about the poor state of the bike industry. And the creeping toward oligopoly is unwelcome. But there are a lot of good, often smaller sellers covering all sectors of the cycling market: BikeTart, SJS, Bikeparts / Woolly Hat Shop, Spa Cycles, Cycle Division, Hopkinson Cycles, Wolf Cycles, Bankrupt Bike Parts... Just got to poke around and find the good ones with the good stuff.

 

[synchronicity]

If CRC/Wiggle goes under, it would be awful for those who lose their jobs, but it might help drive custom to a whole bunch of smaller retailers, perhaps even bricks and mortar independent local bike shops. No consolation for those losing their jobs but, considering that so many independent shops have suffered as a result of large internet retailers, I wouldn't be unhappy if they were the major beneficiaries now. Of course, if the custom just went Amazon's way, I'd feel very differently.

I personally don't shop at brick and mortar because they don't sell ANY of the well-established brands that I have come to know and love. So they can sod off.

 

[synchronicity]

I've heard that they have stopped paying suppliers and have cancelled all orders.
Presumably there will be retention of title clauses in their supply agreements. Suppliers will reclaim unsold stock so it won't take long before they have nothing left to sell.

I was going to buy some hope rotors from them. Noticed they all mysteriously disappeared overnight. Oh well.

 

[synchronicity]

I have a hunch that tradeinn/bikeinn will go the same way. I don't exactly "know anything" about their operating practices, but the prices just seem too cheap. Turnover is great but if it's not profitable it's not sustainable.

 

[greencat]

I also feel sorry for those who might lose their jobs. And the problems of Wiggle / Chain Reaction / Signa say something significant about the poor state of the bike industry. And the creeping toward oligopoly is unwelcome. But there are a lot of good, often smaller sellers covering all sectors of the cycling market: BikeTart, SJS, Bikeparts / Woolly Hat Shop, Spa Cycles, Cycle Division, Hopkinson Cycles, Wolf Cycles, Bankrupt Bike Parts... Just got to poke around and find the good ones with the good stuff.

I suspect some of the bike industry was caught out by the "cycling boom" during covid - and assumed this was now a permanent state of affairs. Can't blame them for trying, but some of the pricing was and remains insane (eg the price of mountain bike tyres compared to the car tyres). In practice, cycling in the UK largely remains a fairly niche activity due in part the variable weather and media driven polarisation between road users resulting in something which is seen as a sport, possible leisure activity rather than normal and everyday. The only thing I see real growth in around here in N. Wales are ebikes. They are enabling older folks to commute and keep fit, while unfit younger folks use them for mountain biking.

I can't help but wonder how it could be disrupted to reduce maintenance and set up costs while scaling to provide a better experience at the cheap end of the market. Maybe super cheap electronic groupsets that set themselves up? More modularisation and standardisation? Maybe more like the Dutch bike experience?

 

[al-onestare]

Guess who is thinking about buying Wiggle/CRC?
That's right. Everyone's favourite retailer
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Mike Ashley.

With that much debt? That'd be a first from him.