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to 2030 and we ended 2024 with a record turnover figure. We have thankfully been immune to the travails of the
industry, our existing investment-led growth path made smoother by the weakening or complete disappearance of several key competitors. This is enabling us to continue increasing our investment
in the cycle industry and maintain our business on a virtuous spiral.
Have you felt any pressure to adopt a direct- to-consumer approach? What factors have reinforced your decision to maintain a strong focus on your dealer network, and what are the benefits of this approach? HRV: As a privately-owned family business, we do not suffer the short-termism associated with venture capital investors seeking a quick return, nor the mindless group-think typical of large, faceless organisations. We are free to go our own way and choose our own
strategies for achieving the long-term goals we set for our business, both domestic and global. Our central strategy hinges on a fundamental belief in the symbiotic relationship between brands and their distribution network. We seek to: Maintain a strong distribution network in order to help build our brands.
Build our brands in order to help maintain a strong distribution network. If we steal our distribution partners’ business by going
direct to the consumer – like most of our competitors do - we undermine our entire business strategy. So, we continue to invest in anything and everything which makes us more important to our dealers - the next big investment to bear fruit will be a flash new AI-supported B2B site which opens this month!
Vincenzo Iannidnardi – Sales Manager Cycle Team: How would you describe the current mood among Oxford’s dealer network? What are their biggest concerns and priorities right now? VI: Our network of dealers, just like the trade generally is very diverse, so there are lots of different issues and individual opportunities for them. Each will have their own view and their own plans. Being Oxford customers means that they have a supplier they can rely on. It’s very easy to become pessimistic in this trade - post-COVID has been tough, I think our customers are a bit more resilient and a bit more optimistic than most, we are growing and I think they see that. We need a strong independent sector to grow in so they know that we are committed to doing the right thing for them, for retail and for the trade.
What advice would you give to retailers to help differentiate themselves in a competitive market? VI: The same advice that one of our customers gave me (you know who you are)! Not all bicycle riders are cyclists - some are commuters, some are parents, and some are health enthusiasts. They ride bicycles for different reasons. Know your customers, and understand their needs.
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