BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Rapha is in takeover talks with LVMH, reports the Mail on Sunday. LVMH owns Louis Vuitton, Moet & Chandon, Dior, TAG Heuer and many other luxe brands, and was recently linked with Italian bike manufacturer Pinarello. LVMH’s brands had a £30 billion turnover in 2015.
BikeBiz ran a story on Rapha in 2004 – "Classy cycle togs to be launched by start-up" – just before founder Simon Mottram went public with it. The company achieved a turnover of £48.8 million in the year to 31 January 2016, with pre-tax profit of £1 million.
Neither LVMH nor Rapha would comment on the takeover report.
Rapha kit is sold online, via a small number of retailers, and via fourteen Rapha Clubhouse stores around the world. With 8,000 paid-up members, the Rapha Cycling Club is one of the largest cycling clubs in the world.
+++
Spotter: road.cc
