Not good

Dam this shitty software. I had a link that has disappeared.

What Muddy Fox for bike packing?

That’s crap IMO, use them lots

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46037259

Sports direct /evans to close half of the cycle shops

That’s crap. I really like my one in Sheffield. Feel sorry for the staff.

 I’d expect suppliers to be wanting stock back ASAP if it’s not been paid for.

I’d imagine some suppliers had already put them on pro-forma a while ago.

🤐

It’ll be interesting to see if Norco who are imported into the UK by Evans sever ties with them now.

Indeed. I cant see Norco or BMC (Or Spesh, Dale or Trek for that matter) wanting to see their brands in a concession in the corner of a grotty warehouse shop next to McDonald’s in a business park.

Looks like Zipp are already in Sports Direct

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/zipp-wheels-now-sold-sports-direct-398456

CaptainFlashheart – I remember you predicting something like this happening 10-12 years ago. What’s it like being ahead of your time?

I can’t see evans surviving as a repitable cycle store.

I for one will not buy anything from a store who treat there staff as they are reported to do.

RIP Evans cycles

Richardk, never mind Zipp, what about this bargain…  https://www.sportsdirect.com/no-name-name-nuts-for-axel-hub-937250?colcode=93725090

Martin, at some point, my omniscience will be acknowledged!

Doesn’t Ashley own other, higher end high st stores?

Oh s**t.. Toon fan here, and now this cretin in pervades another of my hobbies… An utterly odious character.

Big sympathies for the staff involved, and for those staying after the cull..

Doesn’t Ashley own other, higher end high st stores?

He recently bought the House of Fraser chain.

Ashley also owns Tri UK.

Hopefully Evans have been bought as a going concern so vouchers, returns etc. will be honoured unlike the House of Fraser debacle.

Hopefully Evans have been bought as a going concern so vouchers, returns etc. will be honoured unlike the House of Fraser debacle.

BBC article says Evans went into administration before being bought by Sports Direct.

Well that’s me no longer shopping at Evans.  They’ll play off the brands perceived value for a while until everyone realises they’ve driven down quality too far.  Wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the big brands they stock pull out of supplying them, the lessons of what happened to Saracen with the Halfords deal back in the late 90s will be massively in their mind.  Feel for the staff who have helped make he shop good with their Pinnacle bikes etc.

On the plus side the independents should be able to hoover up the higher end customers while the bargain people go to Halfords.  Or they should if they have any sense.

Nope Breatheeasy – pre-pack administration, so same as House of Fraser debacle for gift cards etc.

Most commentaries refer to the chain of 60 stores, it’s history back to the 1920s and the high street trading conditions along with other well known brands etc.

Were they that widespread to be a “household” name all those years or was it just a rush of stores opened since the VC gang got their teeth into it?

I walked into an Evans in Croydon in 1999 or 2000 and it didn’t seem to be part of a larger operation.

Not surprised to see a lot of stores will close.  Since about 2000 they’ve gone from 3(?) to 60 stores around the UK.    A fair few of those seem to have intentionally been opened near to other established shops and with often flaky or indifferent service I’m not sure how profitable a lot of those spaces can have been.

When they only had 3 stores they were good….

Forget Pinnacle, they’ll be Lonsdale bikes now 😉

Arse. Oh well, poor staff.

I wonder what frightened Halfords off?

The only positive from this is that every time I see Ashley on TV, he looks a few steps nearer to a massive heart-attack.

BBC article says Evans went into administration before being bought by Sports Direct.

Have they done that just to avoid honouring gift vouchers etc, or does it let them close stores more easily?

Well that sucks. I can’t stand Ashley and his retail model myself.

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The only positive from this is that every time I see Ashley on TV, he looks a few steps nearer to a massive heart-attack.

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You stay classy…

FFS

If you do a bit of digging you’ll find Ashley owns a fair few “reputable” brands.

For example, he now owns Lovell Rugby/Soccer/Hockey.

He’s slapped Lovell on the Ospreys shirts the last ciiple of seasons and his VX3 rugby brand now outfit Worcester in the Premiership and the  Dragons in the Pro14.

If you want to laugh inside just picture him in lycra on a road bike labouring up a hill.

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BBC article says Evans went into administration before being bought by Sports Direct.

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Have they done that just to avoid honouring gift vouchers etc, or does it let them close stores more easily?

A pre-pack allows the purchaser to essentially buy the assets of the business without being encumbered by its liabilities (like store cards and unfulfilled orders, as well as other creditors) – This isn’t a Mike Ashley fabricated ploy, but would have been the mechanism used by any potential purchaser I’m afraid…….

To be fair, Sports Direct have been selling high end cycling stuff via their website, not in the stores, for years (especially clothing & shoes – I’ve picked up a few bargains there from Gore/Oakley/Giro) so I’m not sure you will see Lonsdale rebrands, and the Evans name appearing in SD stores. Ashley isn’t a billionaire for nothing – as much as some of his business practices stink, he does know how to make money and I’m sure they know how to maintain a brand, and margins……as others have said, he already owns several high end brands

I think you’l see the retail footprint shrink and their online presence expand massively – which to be fair is what they should have done 5 years or more ago and they wouldn’t have been in this situation…..

The new TriUK store is near where I live and I have to say they have some seriously nice bikes in stock (and a heck of a lot of them as well). I had a chat with the manager and they’ll be keeping their own identity. I wonder if some Evans locations will become TriUK?

If any sense, the ones that close are the large retail space high rent places. They look nice but it’s a big shop with not much that probably sells sufficiently except the cheap end bikes.

I can’t see it surviving though even with half the stores. Though downscale and focus on the maintenance side maybe.

Still, oversized Evans mugs?

I wonder what frightened Halfords off?

They had no idea what to do with the decent bikes. Or they saw all the forks were on the right way round and realised they couldn’t live up to that quality.

Probably the worst “rescue package” Evans staff could have hoped for.

Hope those who stay in jobs don’t all end up on zero hours contracts to line that odious ****’s pockets even further.

I can’t see it surviving though even with half the stores. Though downscale and focus on the maintenance side maybe.

Do you think the plan is for them to survive?

Strip, gut, extract and try and cash in on the name for as long as he can. Once the purchase price is recouped then dump what you need.

A pre-pack allows the purchaser to essentially buy the assets of the business without being encumbered by its liabilities (like store cards and unfulfilled orders, as well as other creditors) – This isn’t a Mike Ashley fabricated ploy, but would have been the mechanism used by any potential purchaser I’m afraid…….

Cool thanks – so does that mean anyone who has placed an order for xmas is screwed?

What about warranty repairs, gift cards, bikes in for repair,stuff on order, product returns,cyclescheme, etc

Do you think the plan is for them to survive?

Strip, gut, extract and try and cash in on the name for as long as he can. Once the purchase price is recouped then dump what you need.

Yeah basically any value is in the brand. Most people would rather buy a bike from ‘Evans’ than ‘Sports Direct’. So they integrate the brand into the Sports Direct infrastructure and management system.

Hmmm, presumably that means my warranty for my arkose has gone as well (pinnacle = evans right?)….

Also they’ve been spamming my inbox with lots of offers – anyone who’s bought a bike in the last few weeks but not had it delivered / picked it up yet is presumably f***ed for several grand.

I tell you what I really glad I didn’t buy a gravel bike from them on pre-order. I was close to doing this last month before I went overseas to work for 6 weeks. Instead I ordered on CRC and had it delivered to my parents.