OPINION
long-term brand stewardship. Nearly all distributors offer credit terms too, which provides £millions of liquidity to the retailer network to support in-store brand presence and market growth. The strongest and most desirable brands in cycling are
rarely built through uncontrolled distribution. Strong brands are built through consistency — consistent pricing, consistent presentation, consistent retailer support and a clear route to market. Uncontrolled distribution rarely delivers any of those things for long. It may drive short-term volume, but it often weakens desirability, erodes margin and ultimately damages retailer confidence. This is why I prefer to be the exclusive distributor of a brand, because then I can invest in a brand, which in turn gives the retailer the confidence to invest as well. Volume without control is rarely sustainable. Brands become diluted, consumers become discount conditioned, and retailers become disengaged when they can no longer compete and make any money. We are also seeing increasingly short product lifecycles, with products superseding existing models before retailers have even had the opportunity to sell through inventory. We are seeing this now with new Chinese brands that are developing product faster than the market can consume them. The speed, scale and capability emerging from China is going to fundamentally reshape the industry,
16 | July 2026
and I fear many established players are underestimating it. A product being available everywhere is not the same as a brand being valued everywhere. We can’t turn back time or put the genie back in the lamp. The IBD must evolve, distributors must continue to add genuine value, and brands must choose partners carefully, if any of us are going to thrive long-term.
The future belongs to aligned ecosystems, not simply the biggest networks, and I am a firm believer
that relationship-led business still creates much better long-term outcomes, whether you are a brand, a distributor or a retailer.
‘CYCLING HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT ITS STRONGEST WHEN BRANDS, DISTRIBUTORS AND RETAILERS WORK AS GENUINE PARTNERS RATHER THAN ISOLATED CHANNELS COMPETING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.’
Cycling has always been at its strongest when brands, distributors and retailers work as genuine partners rather than isolated channels competing against one another. The industry’s future will not be built solely on who can reach the customer the cheapest. It will be built by those who create trust, excitement, expertise and long-term value around the products they sell. In my opinion, and in many cases, that still starts with great distributors and great independent bike
shops. So, apart from expertise, mechanics,
community, advocacy, liquidity, training, events, marketing, consumer engagement and long-term brand building ... What has the IBD and the Distributor Ever Done for the
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