INTERVIEW
Do you think there are ways people might not be aware that Extra UK works with independent dealers to support their businesses? Absolutely; a lot of what we do goes on behind the scenes. Being a good distributor is far more than just having stock and selling products; it’s about adding value in the chain. We have long been focused as a business on building consumer demand while supporting our brands and retail partners within the UK and Ireland, and that’s something we continue to invest in heavily. Alongside strong in-store support, including point-of-sale, we also offer advantageous standard credit terms of up to 60 days and invest in solid business systems, giving dealers the visibility they need to work with us efficiently. Being an IBD is no simple business these days, and we understand many of the challenges they face, so our goal is to make working with Extra UK as simple and supportive as it can be.
Extra CEO, Will Fripp
of the Month initiative. Firstly, a huge thank you for that. Secondly, it would be great to hear what other initiatives you and your brands support. Supporting mechanics and workshops is something we’re passionate about, as they are a vital part of our industry. Initiatives like Mechanic of the Year and Mechanic of the Month shine a spotlight on skills that so often are unnoticed and underappreciated. We have a strong workshop offering throughout our brand portfolio and continue to focus on this through our sales team and trade communications. Beyond this, we also support initiatives such as Local Bike Shop Week. We’re proud to get behind this as independent retailers are the heart of our industry and often are more than just a place to buy products - they’re hubs for local cycling communities and very often the point of entry for new riders who want to get into cycling more seriously. Our success as a distributor is directly linked to retailers’ success, so anything we can do to help drive footfall, increase awareness and grow engagement is impactful for us all.
You always have a strong presence at industry events. How important is that face-to-face time with the industry, and what can retailers expect to see from you on the road this year? Aside from the fact that it’s fun and always valuable, to see our little industry come together en masse, we firmly believe that people do business with people. That principle has guided us throughout and is a key reason why we still invest heavily in our field-based team. We have 12 people out on the road, ranging from Area Sales Managers who support the business side of our relationships to Retail Specialists whose sole focus is helping our partners in-store. We don’t currently have plans for further portfolio additions this year. It’s been a busy start to the year with the addition of Bryton, Coast Optics, INPEAK, Rozone and Black X, but never say never! We do, however, have an ongoing schedule of new product launches from our brands, and look forward to showcasing these at the likes of CIN Live later in the year.
Following the success of 2025, what are the primary goals for Extra UK for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027? The next twelve months are huge for Extra UK; revolution rather than evolution. We are rescaling the business to allow for future growth and to offer better service to both our customers and brand partners. This involves a physical move of our business (office
and warehouse) to a much bigger site, all new business ERP and warehouse management systems alongside a new B2B platform, new business intelligence systems and resetting our customer SLAs to deliver even more efficiently. Alongside maintaining the ‘BAU’ that our customers have grown to expect from Extra UK, it’s an awful lot to achieve in just one year, but we have been planning it for some time, and all is broadly on track, so exciting times! ●
48 | June 2026
www.bikebiz.com
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