INTERVIEW
Matthew Osborne, CEO of Silverfish UK
the people in sales, customer service, warranty, marketing, finance and the warehouse to get that recognition. It also tells us we are still doing a lot right.
Much has changed in the industry even since last year. How has Silverfish been adapting to an ever-changing market and remaining one of the top distributors in the UK? A core value at Silverfish is that ‘we’re in it together’. With the challenging market, we are ensuring that we are closer to our customers than ever before. Dealers are buying more carefully, stock turn matters more than ever, and everyone is under pressure. We have responded by being more focused on the brands and categories we support, improving our forecasting and ranging, putting more effort into the website and other facilitative tech, and working harder with dealers on range, availability, training and sell-through. It is not about trying to do everything; it is about doing the right things well, together.
Let’s talk about where the cycling industry is headed. We’ve had the Covid boom and bust, and then it was survive to ’25, and now fix in ’26... what’s next? I think the next phase has to be about building a more sustainable industry. The boom created some unrealistic expectations, and the correction has been painful. Businesses have become more complex and expensive to operate, as trading increasingly depends on a broader range
42 |August 2026
Getting some time on the bike.
of technology and employment costs have continued to rise. Achieving a sufficient scale is therefore increasingly
important to support a higher and more complex cost base. However, cycling is still a brilliant long-term market, and people still want great bikes, kit and experiences. The businesses that come through this will be the ones that manage stock properly, protect margin, invest carefully, achieve scale and stay relevant to riders. I do not think we will go back to the boom, but I do think
we can get back to a healthier, more disciplined market. Sadly, not everything is in our control; consumer confidence is a huge factor and remains very volatile.
And finally, Silverfish. What have you guys got planned over the next 12 months? Anything exciting you can share with us? There is plenty going on. We are staying focused on the brands and categories we know best, mainly premium MTB, gravel and dirt, while also continuing to build our presence in Germany and Austria. We have some exciting brand activity coming through, including the ongoing development of Troy Lee Designs, Norco and other key partners. More broadly, the focus is on helping dealers sell through, improving availability, making the business more efficient and continuing to deliver the kind of service people expect from Silverfish. It is a challenging market, but we still see lots of opportunity. ●
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