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http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/wiggle-set-to-acquire-chain-reaction-cycles/019056
Probably good news for the LBS, potentially not so good for the home hacker. They've both been racing to the bottom so quick on components in event of a merger they'd have to raise their prices with out the competition of the other.
I doubt LBSs will benefit, sadly. The advantage of online retailers is the gargantuan real and virtual inventory they can carry.
This smells of monopoly, alas.
I was just thinking of the general price rises, LBS might not seem quite so expensive all of sudden.
(Yes I know there advantages and Value calculation to the LBS more than just headline price but still)
Something had to give.
CRC can supply stuff at trade - I'm as 'guilty' as everyone else just needing bits to make bikes work that aren't in generally in stock (whatever that means).
However this is big news. Some smaller ones like Tredz are already dwarfed.
Evans have a real shop of course as do EBC.
Heard that Shimano want to control more of their stock.
CRC are based in N Ireland so wonder if their vast warehouse will remain there? Maybe in article above...
"This smells of monopoly, alas."
I wonder what their market share is.
I started shopping with CRC when Wiggle's website became infuriatingly slow, and CRC's was beautifully straightforward to navigate.
I wonder what Wiggle will do to the CRC website other than kill it off?
CRC had(have) great customer service, too. Very quick and friendly when I've mis-measured stuff.
I've actually found myself not using CRC or Wiggle for some time now. Smaller online shops like Tredz, Winstanley's, Shiny Bikes etc. seem to be able to out-do them on price quite often (even though the customer service can be a little bit hit and miss).
I've also found for certain things like gear cables and outers that if you root around on ebay you can find trade versions of the Jagwire kits at huge discounts - you get the same contents in a clear plastic bag with a Jagwire label in Chinese bag without the instructions or fancy packaging of the off-the-peg kits.
I try and put a reasonable proportion of my cycling spend to the LBS for things that it's not so hard to source locally or that you don't need a very specific version of.
Just been told by another bike shop owner (not TBW) that this is 'just a story' and very unlikely as he knows the owners.
All very confusing.
I use whoever has the best deal, but Tredz annoyingly tend to list everything as available whether they have stock or not
As @iwrats says - CRC has the very best customer service, second to none, so I would miss that
I only really use LBS for time-consuming jobs that I can't be bothered investing time in myself
"
Keith Russell (@keithrussell23c)
11/02/2016, 10:44 am
The combined income of CRC & Wiggle still falls a LONG way short of Halfords, so no talk of monopolies please.
"
How much of Halfords income is from online bicycle sales though? Aren't they still mainly focused on the internal combobulation market?
Halfords' total cycling sales were £301m for FY2015. A straight combo of Wiggle & CRC would just outstrip this by £20m or so, though obviously a fair proportion of their sales are overseas.
I've not read the whole thread but the first thing which occurred to me is the product differences between the two companies.
Different companies online tend to sell the same common products like Shimano and Campag etc.. but things like forks, frames and bike etc, tend to differ which we loose when companies combine. Its nice to have the choice or looking 'elswhere' for other brands of smaller stuff, which may not be carried over to the larger combined company.
I wonder (out loud) how much of Wiggle's £301m is generated by Boardman bikes and the cycle to work scheme?
Looks like its a done deal.
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/wiggle-and-chain-reaction-cycles-merge-confirmed-2016.html
Hmm. As long as they retain Wiggle's easy-return-via-Collect+ thing, so that woefully misleadingly-sized opportunist-purchase sale-clothing can be sent back for free.
Having ordered a new jacket & top to replace my lost one and despite buy a large size of both from the same brand they have to go back as one is too big and one too small...
Whilst browsing for replacements I spotted that wiggle have a very useful tool where once you have selected your item you can put in your measurements and it will tell you what size will fit you best.
You don't even have to buy from them once you have sized yourself...
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