Alpkit’s comeback plan: new backing, a sharper focus – and most of the shops staying open

When Alpkit went into administration back in January, plenty of us feared the worst for one of Britain’s best-loved outdoor brands. Six months on, it’s set out how it plans to rebuild – and it’s a good deal more reassuring than that winter headline suggested.

Alpkit today confirmed the shape of the restructure that follows the investment which rescued it in January. The short version: new leadership at the top, a deliberately simpler business, a tighter Sonder bike range, and a store estate that comes through largely intact.

Start with the shops, because that’s where the human story sits. Of Alpkit’s ten UK stores, two – Inverness and Ilkley – will close later this summer. The Kingston store is set to relocate to new premises in the same area, and the remaining seven stay open and get money spent on them: refreshed layouts, locally curated ranges and better merchandising. The company says it’s still on the lookout for new sites, too. For a brand that was staring down administration six months ago, keeping seven of ten stores open and reinvesting in them is not a bad outcome at all.

It won’t feel that way to everyone, though. Two closures means real uncertainty for the teams at those shops, and that’s the sober note beneath an otherwise upbeat announcement. Our thoughts are with the staff affected.

On the money and the boardroom: the investment came in January 2026 from entrepreneur Jeroen van den Berge, who has since taken the role of Executive Chair alongside Alpkit’s original founders. “The decisions we’re making today are about taking lessons from the past and building a stronger business for the future,” he said. “We’ve focused on what Alpkit does best, creating a business that’s simpler and financially stronger.”

For Sonder, the bit closest to home for us, the plan is to concentrate on its strongest adventure bikes and retire the lower-volume models, freeing up investment for new metal. There’s “an exciting new gravel bike” promised for later this year, which we’ll be keen to throw a leg over. Elsewhere, Alpkit launched its first footwear range earlier in the year, rounding out a genuinely head-to-toe kit list.

Co-founder and MD Nick Smith framed it all as a return to first principles. “Some people felt we’d tried to do too much, too quickly, and had drifted from the focus that made Alpkit special,” he admitted. “Every one of those decisions has been guided by a simple principle: getting Alpkit back to doing what it does best… Our mission hasn’t changed.”

Our take: It’s a familiar arc. A much-loved brand expands hard, hits the wall, then trims back to what it’s actually brilliant at. The “Go Nice Places, Do Good Things” ethos, the direct-to-consumer value pricing and the 1%-of-sales Alpkit Foundation all survive. If the restructure does its job, this looks less like a retreat and more like a brand adapting to a brutal retail climate with its identity – and most of its footprint – intact. Alpkit’s a long-standing favourite around here, so we’ll be watching to see how it plays out.

Singletrack Owner/Publisher

Mark has been riding mountain bikes for over 30 years and co-owns Singletrack, where he's been publisher for 25 years. While his official title might be Managing Director, his actual job description is "whatever needs doing" – from wrangling finances and keeping the lights on to occasionally remembering to ride bikes for fun rather than just work. He's seen the sport evolve from rigid forks to whatever madness the industry dreams up next, and he's still not entirely sure what "gravel" is. When he's not buried in spreadsheets or chasing late invoices, he's probably thinking about his next ride.

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