BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Munich bike retailer Alpha Bikes has announced it is parting ways with Specialized, switching to Giant from July 2022.
Since it was founded in 1992, Alpha Bikes has been the contact point for cyclists in the Munich area, with the team around owners Gerhard Wagner and Daniel Ciasto opening a Specialized Concept Store in 2008. After 24 years of working together they are now parting ways, the owners said, following Specialized’s launch of direct-to-consumer sales.
“The industry has changed rapidly in recent years,” said the owners. “We always try to be one step ahead. That has always distinguished us. We have achieved our position in the market through our competence and our high standards. Our customers know that they can approach us at any time with requests and service issues. That defines us as a company. And that’s exactly what we no longer see guaranteed with Specialized.
“The change of direction at Specialized has had a not inconsiderable impact on the specialist trade. We see ourselves as the most important link between the brand and customers – a role that is limited by the restructuring at Specialized. Our business is becoming more unpredictable, availability more unpredictable.”
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Alpha Bikes has now partnered with the Giant Group, with its brands Giant, Liv and Cadex. “Giant has been the world’s largest manufacturer of high-quality bikes for 50 years now – a brand that performs superbly on the streets and trails and at the same time never forgets where it comes from and where it wants to go,” said the owners.
“The Giant Group once started very small and has remained true to her vision to this day: to develop the best and most innovative products to awaken the passion for cycling – affordable for everyone and accessible to everyone. A vision that we at Alpha Bikes absolutely share.”
The first Giant and Liv bikes will be available in the Alpha Bikes Store from July, and in March 2023 the new Giant Store Munich will be opened under the management of Alpha Bikes.
