Why did 'Peddlers' large cycle shop in Worcester close??

[Bill Reynolds]

Going past the above cycle shop I noticed that it had its windows papered over and appears to be shut! I see/saw this whilst travelling by bus. Why would such a large shop suddenly close??....

[Bonefishblues]

Because no room for two?

http://worcestercyclecentre.com/

[bikepacker]

Don't know the real cause but a new bike shop opened up opposite them with a much more friendly owner.

[tatanab]

It has been closed almost a year now. I heard stories about age and lease renewal. It isn't the only one to close either, Green Bike Co closed about the same time.

[fastpedaller]

Why would such a large shop suddenly close??....

Why do any businesses close?
Think or Woolworths, BHS, etc Any business (however small or large) is vulnerable.
It always surprises me (as a self-employed person) that a lot of the general public think "He has his own business, he must be rich!", where the reality is very different. As an example most businesses see very few sales in January.

[rmurphy195]

I'm sure they were there last June when I was looking for a new tourer "in the flesh" so to speak. Unsuccessfully.

[reohn2]

Why would such a large shop suddenly close??....

Why do any businesses close?
Think or Woolworths, BHS, etc Any business (however small or large) is vulnerable.
It always surprises me (as a self-employed person) that a lot of the general public think "He has his own business, he must be rich!", where the reality is very different.....

Not to mention the stress of running your own business

[PH]

Let me get the question right:
A local bike shop has been closed for months and a local cyclist has only just noticed and wonders why.
That doesn't on the face of it look like a very hard question.
I don't know you or them, but whatever they were doing didn't attract you, so I expect that was the same for other cyclists.

[MikeF]

I think many shops need, or will need, online sales now in order to survive. Their market is then expanded vastly.

Was the name really "Peddlers"? Or was it "Pedallers"? If the former perhaps they've moved on to peddle elsewhere. I note from the web there's a shop in Redcar with that name.

[Des49]

Earlier this year I was in Worcester for the first time when one of my daughters went for a uni interview. With time to kill I admired the flooded and frozen cricket pitch, the flooded race course with swans swimming on it and then went in search of the local bike shops. Went a long way to find this papered over shop, opposite another which was closed!
Walked all the way back into the centre and did find another, had a good chat about the local cycling with one guy there, had no idea that the Malvern Hills were so close. So it seemed to me, as an outsider, that one shop was trying to do a lot and maybe the others could have tried harder. But at the end of the day, only so much business to go around in a small area.

[mercalia]

some times the owner just dies? saw a shop like that in Wickham Market

[Bill Reynolds]

Hello 'PH', kindly take a look to the right of my message! Notice it say's i live in NORTH WORCESTERSHIRE, in fact near Bromsgrove. Hardly a local cyclist would you say, also i usually travel into Worcester by train and have only just noticed about Peddlers. The chap that ran the shop when I visited it was not the most friendly of people and answered me as if I was spoiling his day.......

[g.meredith]

My local bike shop has stopped selling mountain bikes and has significantly reduced their other ranges. They seem to be relying heavily on repairs.
I fear the lack of online presence is eventually going to finish them.

[gxaustin]

I knew the owner of Peddlers, or he was up until 3 or 4 years ago. I found him most affable and very much doubt that he was unhelpful. He was having a lot of trouble with his eyes and sold up. Maybe the new management wasn't successful.

[pedals2slowly]

None of the posts above get very close to the facts.
Peddlers was closed because the owner hadn't paid rent for months, the landlord forced the bankruptcy. The assets were sold to pay the debtors.
The partner with the eye problem had left the partnership some time beforehand and was unaware of the situation until it happened.
The remaining partner had absolutely no sales aptitude and was barely making enough to live off. The shop had no internet presence.
(As one of my workmates said 'I met the sales prevention officer at Peddlers today')
I consider both partners to be friends but they were enthusiasts with little business sense.
Both are happy in their new lives.
There are now two far better shops on the opposite side of the road who cater for a very similar clientele and have far better customer service skills.
Still enthusiastic cyclists but making a reasonable living for themselves.

http://barbournebicycles.co.uk/

https://elgarcycles.com/