RETAILERS
Kwik Fit’s acquisition of Fettle will particularly appeal to bike manufacturers and operators of cargo bike fleets looking for servicing support
success and a further Fettle at Kwik Fit has now opened in Cambridge. When combined with Fettle’s pre-existing sites in London, the company now has seven sites in its portfolio. The learnings from all of these will be used as Fettle continues to expand its presence in new regions. “We’ve been testing a number of different things - from the full customer journey, to brand positioning alongside Kwik Fit and which B2B partners need our support the most,” says Heselton. “Fettle has a really strong brand in London and we’re
excited to work out the ways to adapt to different local areas as we grow nationally. “Customers, manufacturers and other B2B partners have responded really well to the new services. It feels like riding with the wind behind you - the work we’re doing to support those choosing to cycle, particularly in urban areas and for short journeys, is really welcomed.” When you take a step back and consider that Fettle has only
existed for five years, it’s a remarkable growth trend. “I think the fact that we are open to bespoke partnerships with manufacturers, retailers, fleets and any other businesses, irrespective of the size or make up of their bike portfolio, means that we have been able to build strong relationships in a short space of time,” adds Heselton.
Looking back to look forward Despite having a lot of success in a short space of time, Heselton doesn’t recall a particular lightbulb moment.
14 | March 2024
“It’s been a really continuous graft,” she says. “But it has been very encouraging that I’ve never had to justify our approach or persuade people to believe that what we’re building is important. “We’ve always been convinced about the contribution we could make, and it’s been gratifying that the concept has been endorsed along the way by respected players within the industry, and now of course, from outside the sector.” 2024 will see Fettle focus a lot on the national expansion of its workshops, providing aftercare for manufacturers and other businesses, and supporting the growth of e-bike and e-cargo bike fleets in the UK. “We think that in 2024 there is going to be an ever greater focus on mobility as a whole,” comments Heselton. “We want to help show that in urban areas especially,
e-bike and e-cargo bikes are part of a range of solutions which perhaps haven’t been widely considered before. “As we expand we will be recruiting right across the UK, so we would encourage any cycle mechanics looking for new opportunities to get in touch. We’ll continue to invest in training, and this is another area where we will be able to take advantage of Kwik Fit’s experience as it has one of the most respected learning and development programmes in the automotive sector.”
With an established name in Kwik Fit now expanding the
Fettle network, and Heselton continuing to steer the ship, the next five years look to be even brighter than the last.
www.bikebiz.com
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