DISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR FOCUS: ISON DISTRIBUTION I
In this month’s distributor insight, Alex Ballinger travels to Cambridgeshire to meet the team at Ison
f there’s one thing that’s certain about mountain bikers, dirt jumpers, and BMX riders, they know the brands they like.
Whether it’s style, reliability, or even just habit, riders from these disciplines are some of the most discerning when it comes to the products they trust and are willing to ride. Ison Distribution has plenty of experience in this area of
the bike market, as the Cambridgeshire-based distributor has some of the most recognisable BMX, dirt jump and mountain bike brands in its portfolio. Last year I travelled to Ely, not far from Cambridge, to visit the Ison team and see what was in the pipeline for the coming year.
The hangover “An overseas friend of mine recently said to me ‘we’ve had quite a party for the last couple of years,” said Lloyd Townsend, managing director of Ison. “‘Now we’ll have to get through the hangover.’ It’s clear that there are going to be some headaches.” The past year has been tough for many
cycling businesses, including Ison, as the pandemic cycling boom came crashing down, and
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various global events conspired to put a squeeze on spending. “One of the biggest challenges for 2023 revolves around
getting back to some stability for the whole industry,” said Townsend. Supply chain issues have been the biggest cause of concern for many cycling businesses, as long Covid delays have resulted in sudden overstocking issues, just as bike sales started to slow, and consumer confidence dropped off due to the rising cost of living. The overstocking issue is well documented, but Townsend said there is another issue that may be looming: “I think most of us are aware that there appears to be a current glut of cycling products worldwide, but some of us are perhaps less aware that the cancellations made by the industry may present yet another new challenge for us all a little later. We’ve recently been told that many production factories are being starved of orders and consequently operating on three days a week (or less). This potentially presents the threat of factories being forced out of business if things don’t stabilise. It’s possible that the industry could see subsequent supply shortages becoming an issue for us all to contend with in the future.”
Ison Distribution MD, Lloyd Townsend January 2023 | 27
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