BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The Tandem Group of Birmingham has released its latest financials. Group chairman M.P.J. Keene said:
“Our national retailer bicycles business, under the Falcon, Townsend, Elswick, Boss, Zombie and British Eagle brands, continued to show significant growth during the period, reinforcing our belief about elements of the independent sector. In addition … the compelling value proposition coupled with an expanding customer base helped to enhance performance.”
However, Tandem is being squeezed in other areas of its business:
“In the Claud Butler business, a number of independent customers have moved away from the value end of the market choosing instead to replace lower price point product on the shop floor with higher specification bicycles,” said Keene. “As a result, some of this business has been taken on by national retailers.”
In The Guardian, Jim Shears, Tandem’s finance director, is reported to have said: "In recent years you’ve seen the London Olympics effect and the Tour de France and there are a lot more high-end cyclists about. People are interested in cycling but it’s not correct to say cycling is booming in the UK. In our part of the market, which is mainly mums and dads going out for a ride with the family, we haven’t seen the same effect. There’s not a massive uplift in cycling across the country."
Shears added:
"Without making excuses, if it’s baking hot would you go and get on your bike? You would probably want to sit in your garden and have a barbecue."
