NEWS
CYCLE SHORTS
Helmet bill fails
For the third time and under the guidance of a third MP, a Private Member’s Bill calling for compulsory helmet use for children on the roads has failed in Parliament.
Evolution Imports takes on Tomac
Bike brand Tomac will now be found under the Evolution Imports portfolio, with bikes, frames, clothing and accessories available. The 2012 line includes 29ers, carbon full suspension frames and more.
Saddleback takes on Chris King hubs
Hubsets from precision components maker Chris King will land with Saddleback from January.
Cyclescheme trademarks name
A four year battle to trademark the Cyclescheme moniker has concluded with the firm succeeding. Those facilitators using this term must now cease doing so.
3MR launches bike retail service
3MR, e-commerce consultancy, has launched a service dedicated to the bicycle trade. The firm offers e-commerce consultancy and much more. Contact the firm on 01925 357257 or head to the official site for more details –
www.3mrltd.com
Record audience for Tour of Britain
ITV4’s highlight coverage of this year’s Tour of Britain has proved more popular than ever, netting a 17 per cent rise in viewers. On average, over 483,000 viewers tuned in for the highlights, compared with 2010’s average reach of 401,000 in 2010.
Scottish Bike Show launches sportive
Next April’s Show will include a sportive, with two options available for riders.
For breaking news visit:
www.bikebiz.com
4 BIKEBIZ DECEMBER
7 in 10 independent bike retailers fear online competition
Grey imports, internet traders and stocking issues dominate retailer worries Road demand stays strong
by Mark Sutton
ACCORDING TO a BikeBiz poll of 100 independent bike retailers in the UK and Ireland, a combination of grey import and online competition are now considered the greatest threats to business. Alongside general concerns about the state of the economy and customer affluence, 71 per cent of those asked rated online discounters an ongoing worry, with 47.4 per cent also citing grey import product as a problem at retail. Road and leisure bicycles remain the dominant force for most independent shops
in the trade, with 56.2 and 41.6 per cent of respondents stating this is where they’d seen a marked increase in demand in the past 12 months. 37 per cent cited that they still held fears of their suppliers selling out of key lines, something that has caused problems – particularly in the road bike market – in recent years.
Almost unanimously, the frontline stated that the workshop remains important, with 52 per cent stating they feel this aspect of their trade is more important than this time last year. For those who have faced cutbacks during the past year’s difficult trading climate, stock
Ultra Motor UK goes into administration
LAST MONTH electric bicycle company Ultra Motor went into administration. Founded in 2003, Ultra Motor of the UK
produced e-bikes under the A2B label as well as electric bike propulsion systems for other companies.
The administrators of Ultra Motor in the
UK are Ensors Chartered Accountants. Ensors is looking to sell the company as a going concern and BikeBiz understands the electric bicycle firm is currently still trading. Ultra Motor has
sold its subsidiary Ultra Motor Taiwan to a group of European private equity investors. Ultra Motor Taiwan is the company’s propulsion systems business which includes the electric motor manufacturing plant located in Taoyuan, Taiwan, as well as the power electronics R&D facility in Taipei.
As part of the acquisition, Ultra Motor
Taiwan has received additional funding to finance its growth and continued R&D activities. Brompton is working with the R&D arm of
Ultra Motor – which is separate to the UK bike side of the business – to create a Brompton e-bike. Ultra Motor has a staff of ten in the UK
and also had offshoots in Berlin, with sales and marketing offices in America and Europe.
For those independent retailers facing
cutbacks, stock levels have been the first to face the chop.
in association with
Best Buy to leave the UK
by Jonathon Harker
JUST 18 months after opening its first store in the UK, Best Buy is to close its 11 stores in Britain.
All of its shops will close before the end of the year, affected in the region of 1,000 staff members. The consumer electronics retailer held
stock of electric bicycles, as part of its ‘Green Tech’ area, which also included electric cars and scooters. Best Buy had a support team to back sales of its e-bike range and was felt by the industry at the time that its move in the e-bike market could provide the sector with a boost. Advocates of electric bikes are likely, therefore, to be disheartened by Best Buy’s failure in the UK. The retailer had touted e-bikes as ‘a good way to get back into cycling’ and as a cheaper alternative to a second car. Best Buy’s primary offering is pitched at the consumer electronics sector – a market that has been troubled on the UK High Street during the economic downturn. Carphone Warehouse CEO
BIKEBIZ.COM
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