I'm not surprised, when Wiggle put their annual results out they said they were concentrating warehousing in Wolverhampton.
I blame Wiggle. 👿
Knew this would happen as soon as Wiggle took over. Another bike shop gone in Northern Ireland. Are there any left?
Sloane Cycles. Ordered a Limar road helmet from them years ago.
Obvious consolidation move once Wiggle took over .
Shame for the employees but should come as no surprise .
Damn shame.
On a selfish note, I really hope they keep CRC's excellent customer service dept.
Another bike shop gone in Northern Ireland.
There's still going to be 275 people based in NI apparently... Not that that makes it any better for the folk losing their jobs.
Inevitable really though as soon as Wiggle bought them out 🙁
Sad to see but inevitable once Wriggle got there claws into them probably end up like sports direct for the work force zero hour contracts and slavish work patterns.
Royal mail will probably lose out to a zero hour courier company sad to see CRC RIP
Sad to see but inevitable once Wriggle got there claws into them probably end up like sports direct for the work force zero hour contracts and slavish work patterns.
Wasn't that what CRC was anyway? Seem to recall they were not the most highly regarded employer.
Its not loss of a shop either is it? or are they closing the shop too?
There is now vacant warehouse space so maybe one of the people made redundant could use their contacts to set up another online sales setup.
Though I thought we all agreed online sales were the devil, its so hard to keep up sometimes.
Can't remember the last time I ordered something from CRC or wiggle.
Other outlets are available.
That's nice for the people losing their livelihood to know.
Looks like Mcconvey Cycles will be getting more trade, great local bike shop, with that personal touch.
Though I thought we all agreed online sales were the devil, its so hard to keep up sometimes.
Your not wrong, it's getting harder to know what to get indignant about these days.
Its easier to simply object to everything and everyone, and just come up with the reasoning later...
[quote=chakaping ]That's nice for the people losing their livelihood to know.
what about all the shops that CRC and wiggle put out of business?
Maybe we should focus on the environmental good that this will do? Surely we can all agree it is far better for the environment with the reduction in 'pointlessly' shipping goods in and out of Northern Ireland.
We are all tree hugging anti car cyclists after all 😆
People loosing their job always sucks, regardless of the circumstances.
That aside I hope wiggle dont ruin crc, they have always seemed a bit road biased, too expensive with a terrible website, hence Ive not used them for years.
We are all tree hugging anti car cyclists after all
im not 🙂
they have always seemed a bit road biased,
And I wonder why they bought CRC?
From a guy who owns a bike shop, genuinely very sad to see this happening!
CRC have always been the best of the "bad bunch" so to speak. It's hard to match their prices sometimes, but they don't take the piss on new and in demand products unlike many of the others, and all their staff are keen riders.
Wiggle epitomise all that is wrong with the bike trade, and sadly they're the ones making all the money! A tax write off for a venture capital firm (so forget the fact they buy in bulk and sell it cheap, they pay no sodding tax to speak of!) staffed mainly by agency and/or people who have little or no interest in cycling. The buy up fledgling brands cheaply left right and centre to minimise the chance of competition to their own brands, and they get preferential treatment from all the suppliers for the latest new kit despite the reps protestation to the contrary...
Very sorry for those directly affected by the job losses.
I hope they have done their maths correctly as I was expecting Wiggle to move its operations to NI and not the other way around. Warehousing and staff will be much cheaper in NI than mainland UK and Im sure they could have got some tax breaks for staying, so I guess the shipping costs must have swung it. Just sounds a bit odd given nearshoring is normally always more cost effective than onshoring.
Also given the CRC service and support is superior to Wiggle, I really would question the maths.
Real shame.
Why would shipping costs swing it Royal Mail are one price whatever distance within the uk!
Wasn't CRC a family business, set up and/or grown with lots of govt money...grew hugely then sold yeah?
Why would shipping costs swing it Royal Mail are one price whatever distance within the uk!
Agree for uk to uk post, but what about sending abroad from NI to Europe and afar... that and inbound stock wherever that comes from?
Mboy, you clearly don't know anyone who works for Wiggle with that comment about them having no interest in cycling!
Oh great. They are moving their warehouse to the UK to help meet the demands blah blah. Don't see how that will benefit customers (like me) in Ireland. Guess we are in the minority for the big corporation so will have put up with longer delivery times coming from the UK. I really liked crc, can see me shopping around more now, using the Germans etc.
most of us dont care where the stock is stored or comes from just the price,good customer services, and they have it in stock and available within days.
Wiggle also have a huge depot in stoke on trent iirc, they closed the down south one down, chaper oop north, and more staff and better communications available.
the go to back in the day and they were first on the block.
You would order something one day and get it the next day without fail!
not ordered off them in years!
not ordered off wiggle in years either and i live about 5 miles from their depot!
cynic-alWasn't CRC a family business, set up and/or grown with lots of govt money...grew hugely then sold yeah?
Oh yeah. Good christian family too. With impeccable christian morals. Like treating their staff like shit and laying hundreds of them off just before Christmas.
Whilst this is not really fair or directed at those poor buggers out of work now
this has to be some kind of price shagging Karma, Ironic that a company renowned for maybe contributing a wee tad to the demise of many a local bike shop because no one could pricematch and hope to put food on the table, then finds themselves culling their own in an effort to eek every penny out of a piss poor margin that they themselves have created
Well, I have to agree with who ever it was up above who mentioned that their customer services was going to be sorely missed. I'd like to say that CRC's warranty and returns team were the best and there are a lot of company's out there who will benefit from such polite helpful and friendly staff. Guys and girls I really appreciate the effort you guys have given and only recently have I been refunded a faulty Roubaix top in Blue,
Hopefully that warehouse will lend itself quite well to a similar outfit like NEXT or even Amazon?
Who knows you might even get some of our Banks,
Good luck and all the best.
I'd also like to add, if you are reading this as a disgruntled employee, feel free to laden my box with any random shit you might find laying around on the shelves, anything with XTR or DURA-ACE on it will suffice, I,m not all that keen on campy stuff altho you could use this as it will A: Help to keep the weight of said parcel at a minimum and B: Eat into their profits way quicker than the mass bought far eastern tat.
Just a thought
It was inevitable when two companies who basically do the same thing merge, it doesn't take long for someone to work work out when you've got 2 people (or two groups of people) doing the same job, you can sack one of them and make the other work harder for the same wages you make more money.
CRC will still exist as a brand, and they seem to be keeping on the non-stock handling guys so it will still exist, they're just selling Wiggle's stock now.
Wiggle bought out CRC?? 😯 When did this happen??
doing the same job, you can sack one of them and make the other work harder for the same wages you make more money.
and in some businesses they don't even have to make them work harder, if Wiggle had the capacity to handle orders and processing then it donsn't need more people doing that.
mickmcd - Member
Whilst this is not really fair or directed at those poor buggers out of work nowthis has to be some kind of price shagging Karma, Ironic that a company renowned for maybe contributing a wee tad to the demise of many a local bike shop because no one could pricematch and hope to put food on the table, then finds themselves culling their own in an effort to eek every penny out of a piss poor margin that they themselves have created.
Speaking as someone who lives 5 miles from CRC HQ, I haven't seen too many local bike shops going under since the mid 90's when I first started buying from them. My closest shop is still ticking over selling Trek and Raleigh BSO's and much of their stock (tubes, tyres, gear cables etc) is sourced from CRC.
A year or two ago I needed a couple of BB spacers so decided to support another local shop, Madigans in Carrickfergus. The guy in the shop looked at me funny and said "nah, we don't anything like that, try CRC." So I did and the guy behind the counter of their s****y showroom wandered off to the workshop and came back with a handful of spacers, no charge.
Another time I was bitching to one of the guys at the counter how I was selling a frame but the only interest was from Aus and I was being quoted £240 for postage. He made a call upstairs then said they could post it for me for £25.
They may have been a faceless corporation to those on the mainland and WW, but they were always an 'LBS' in the truest sense for me.
Wowwww... Imagine having CRC as one's LBS... 8)
A bit like when I lived in Sheffield - and JE James was my LBS. That was totes awesums.
Sad day if the shop and warehouse are to go, might call in later on 🙁
You can't blame CRC for the demise of all businesses that couldn't make it but how many shops has Sheffield also had, we ran a very successful one for many years that made plenty of money and still closed down ,Price shagging has been around since my first ever mechanic job in 1985 let alone today where you can loss lead to see who can compete.
But the inter web is very twee it was only a month ago that the hot topic was try in someone's shop but buy online
Next year I'm. Sure brexit will be the reason for the killing off the LBS and people will once again have short arms and deep pockets.
I have the same name as an international road cyclist of some repute. Not Wiggo or that other bloke but he's up there. I had to phone Wiggle the other week and I gave them my name.staffed mainly by agency and/or people who have little or no interest in cycling
'Not [i]the [/i]** *****?' they said 😉
mikewsmith - Memberdoing the same job, you can sack one of them and make the other work harder for the same wages you make more money.
and in some businesses they don't even have to make them work harder, if Wiggle had the capacity to handle orders and processing then it donsn't need more people doing that.
Spoken like a true manager. "I have Order Handlers, they have Order Handlers, together we have too many Order Handlers".
Unless, they plan to close one of the brands and let Merlin take all that business, they're still going to have to handle the same amount of orders the two brands were prior to the merger - they just shifted CRCs workload onto Wiggles, either Wiggle was massively over-staffed in the first place, or they plan to replace CRC people with new Wiggle people, which seems pointlessly cruel, then the Wiggle people are going to be running around harder and faster then ever.
They must have a hell of a system at Wiggle, to mothball/junk CRC's fancy picking and packing system.
They must have a hell of a system at Wiggle, to mothball/junk CRC's fancy picking and packing system.
Who is to say they don't use the same software / processing systems ?
Sadly this is a typical result of a merger / takeover between two companies doing the same thing.
Sad really as what I did buy online I would buy from CRC in part to help
NI. Haven't used Wiggle for years.
I'm with oink1, when the bloody hell did wiggle buy CRC and will this mean CRC prices going up to wiggle prices? If so I think other more bike orientated online retailers will start getting more of my business.
They deal went through over the summer sometime.
Spoken like a true manager. "I have Order Handlers, they have Order Handlers, together we have too many Order Handlers".
One the the positive aspects (to the company doing the buying) of the buyout/merger is ability to reduce staff because of economies of scale/other efficiencies.
Simple capitalism to give the consumer the lowest cost while also becoming the 'winning' company. If you don't like capitalism (I don't by the way) then either vote it out or put on a Guy Fawkes mask and do some sit-ins...
@Dogmatix, Exactly, Like the German one. I dont like Wiggle and i hate the the way they have thrown their DHB kit across CRC's website.
I very much doubt the money i spend at CRC will affect Wiggle in any way shape or form but i wont be using them.
to move its operations to NI and not the other way around. Warehousing and staff will be much cheaper in NI than mainland UK and Im sure they could have got some tax breaks for staying
read a comment on one of the bike business sites under an article about this saying Wiggle's newish UK warehouse was running at something like 30% capacity so if true a no-brainer from their perspective.
I was always impressed with CRC's customer service which always went above and beyond. Munqe Chick found some still-boxed SPD pedals she'd bought from them like 18 months earlier (had subsequently converted to flats), she emailed them and they were happy to take 'em back for a credit note. I returned a full-face helmet that didn't fit by recorded delivery (my decision), when they refunded the purchase price they added on the cost of my return postage. I had to email them to find out why the refund was for more than I remembered spending!
i agree, i ordered a pair of gloves for £17. Some turned up wrong that were £30 and i sent them back explaining right make wrong glove and got a credit note for £25. £8 in profit.
Bought a CAMELBAK Podium water bottle that discoloured inside and they requested i send them some pictures, they sent me a new bottle. Recently bought a top with a slight blemish and was refunded the full prrchase price. I cant wear the top on the bike as the zipper won't go past the neck wiyhout de railing but its spot on for walking the dog in under my Barbour.
Schwalbe tyre split on the front on the bead and i was refunded BOTH tyres cost.
Dont get me wrong i spend a LOT of money with them, but i'm gonna miss that relliable almost fit and forget procedure, Send it back and almost forget its gone then the email comes through confirming their action.
As most of the stuff from CRC, comes into the uk through Birkenhead and Liverpool docks, theres going to be a loss for the subbies employed to deliver it to the regional hubs for onwards distruibution, but hopefully new jobs wil be created at the new super depot that wiggle has just built in england.
lets take off the rose tinted spectacles for a moment .
Has everyone forgotten the credit card fraud scandal and how awfully CRC dealt with it ?
I had to phone Wiggle the other week and I gave them my name.
You sure? If so please tell me the phone number, because I can't find it.
One of the reasons I stopped using Wiggle. The other one is they used everybodies favourite courier . . . hucking Yodel.
Merlin, Cyclestore and the Germans for me now. Recommendations for other online shops welcome.
Marko
I feel for the folk in Ireland that'll lose there jobs.
There can't be too many jobs available.
It'll be a huge loss for the local economy over there.
One of the reasons I stopped using Wiggle. The other one is they used everybodies favourite courier . . . hucking Yodel.
I get all my stuff via Royal Mail, is that because I use the free delivery option?
I don't use any companies that use Yodel as only option as not worth the time and effort chasing up every other missing parcel.
Recommendations for other online shops welcome.
This.
I see my future online purchases coming from Germany too.
I get all my stuff via Royal Mail, is that because I use the free delivery option?I don't use any companies that use Yodel as only option as not worth the time and effort chasing up every other missing parcel.
Yeah iirc:
Normal - Royal Mail
Priority - Yodel (of teh ironing)
Next Day - DPD
i hate the the way they have thrown their DHB kit across CRC's website.
Why? At least it means the kit probably exists in anything other than XXS and XXL like CRC.
I don't get the Wiggle hate what's the big deal.
As most of the stuff from CRC, comes into the uk through Birkenhead and Liverpool docks, theres going to be a loss for the subbies employed to deliver it to the regional hubs for onwards distruibution
Hang on, CRC isn't closing down, is it? They've laid some people off but will still operate as a business and continue to stock and ship tonnes of stuff.
Maybe we should focus on the environmental good that this will do? Surely we can all agree it is far better for the environment with the reduction in 'pointlessly' shipping goods in and out of Northern Ireland
And Norn Ireland is probably closer to a lot of places in the UK than, what, Plymouth is it where Wiggle are based.
Hang on, CRC isn't closing down, is it? They've laid some people off but will still operate as a business and continue to stock and ship tonnes of stuff.
If you read the article then bikes / frames / wheelbuilding will stay in NI, the rest will go to Wolverhampton.
And Norn Ireland is probably closer to a lot of places in the UK than, what, Plymouth is it where Wiggle are based.
Wolverhampton
[i]Hopefully that warehouse will lend itself quite well to a similar outfit like NEXT or even Amazon?
Who knows you might even get some of our Banks, [/I]
Are you like the bloke I work with that doesn't realise the island of Ireland is split into two, Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) and Eire that isn't?
Although the guy I work with thought the entire island was in the UK...
Where did Hotlines etc figure into this? are they under wiggle now or independent?
I don't get the Wiggle hate what's the big deal.
Nor me. Their prices are always competitive for the stuff I am after (and because I buy a certain amount i get platinum discount)
Delivery is always within 2 days even though I always go for free delivery.
Their website tells the truth on stock levels so no second guessing.
Where did Hotlines etc figure into this? are they under wiggle now or independent?
Also now part of the Wiggle group.
I lived in Sheffield - and JE James was my LBS. That was totes awesums.
You must have had some dark days to make that look like a glimmer of positive.
I clicked on CRC earlier and they are now selling dhb stuff.
The thought went through my head that they are a Wiggle brand. Oh yeah...
Time to find a new supplier of bike bits. Tredz?
I just buy stuff from where is cheapest. My LBS if doing any work for me will tell me to buy stuff from CRC and send it to the workshop. I'd have only thought this reduction of competition could increase prices.
Anybody know how much wiggle paid for crc?
Did they ever recover the business they lost when they changed the website?
They've moved.And Norn Ireland is probably closer to a lot of places in the UK than, what, Plymouth is it where Wiggle are based.
Wiggle still have their HQ in Portsmouth but as others have mentioned the main warehouse is in Wolverhampton.
Speaking as someone who lives 5 miles from CRC HQ, I haven't seen too many local bike shops going under since the mid 90's when I first started buying from them. My closest shop is still ticking over selling Trek and Raleigh BSO's and much of their stock (tubes, tyres, gear cables etc) is sourced from CRC.A year or two ago I needed a couple of BB spacers so decided to support another local shop, Madigans in Carrickfergus. The guy in the shop looked at me funny and said "nah, we don't anything like that, try CRC." So I did and the guy behind the counter of their s****y showroom wandered off to the workshop and came back with a handful of spacers, no charge.
Another time I was bitching to one of the guys at the counter how I was selling a frame but the only interest was from Aus and I was being quoted £240 for postage. He made a call upstairs then said they could post it for me for £25.
They may have been a faceless corporation to those on the mainland and WW, but they were always an 'LBS' in the truest sense for me.
I can't fault their customer service.
I bought some Mattocs which were missing the IVA and volume spacers so emailed regarding this. In between my first email and them sorting it, my bikes were stolen. I said to the lad not to worry about sending the missing bits because of the theft and that'll I'll order some more once I had the insurance payout. He went and spoke to his manager who said that'd they'd do any extra 10% off for any replacement bits through them. They got a massive order and chucked in free next day delivery.
Wiggle on the other hand we're a pain in the bum to deal with when they got numerous orders of mine wrong ad not being able to talk to someone is infuriating.
I had an issue with something from Wiggle, sorted quickly and without issue.
So it's one all.
Or anecdotal bollocks.
Wiggle have been OK for me, though I also find it annoying that they won't take phone calls.
CRC have been friendly and really helpful every time I've needed it, definitely a cut above IME.
99% of this forum is anecdotal bollocks Al.