Cycling UK Forum

thirdcrank wrote:I must have mentioned this before but I've never understood why a manufacturer whose name means "white" would invariably finish their frames in blue.

I think the official colour name is "Celeste".

My colour vision isn't perfect by any means but I tend to think of it as being more on the green side of turquoise.
Whatever, I love it but have always liked the Italian brand Wilier too, but that's probably more down to their model names, as Galilbier is my favourite mountain.
Then again, I really should have bought a Spanish bike a few years ago, as the BH brand already had my initials stamped on them (no, not FC).

From today's Daily Telegraph

Halfords swoops for ailing Evans Cycles
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/20 ... ns-cycles/

Evans is apparently looking for a buyer and has received a number of offers, including one from Halfords. This is because Evans needs a whopping £10 million to keep going

I can't say I'm too surprised. In the internet age, prices are cut throat whilst unlike others, they have a huge retail estate to pay for. The flip side of this and something which they need to, and should play on, is the advantage of service and advice on sizing, trying on etc. But, as has been mentioned on here over and over again, they simply do not excel at this. Quite the opposite. They should.....and then they may not have found themselves in this sticky situation.

seems like Halfords has some competition to buy Evans

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/jd-sports-sports-direct-reportedly-rival-halfords-bid-evans-cycles-396406

mercalia wrote:seems like Halfords has some competition to buy Evans

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/jd-sports-sports-direct-reportedly-rival-halfords-bid-evans-cycles-396406

I hadn't realised Go Outdoors were owned by JD Sports. GO seem to have been developing their cycle stuff in the last few years (& getting some good reviews of their bikes in the process).

Have Halfords been targeting Evans with their Cycle Republic stores? They seem to have opened a lot in close proximity.

RickH wrote:Have Halfords been targeting Evans with their Cycle Republic stores? They seem to have opened a lot in close proximity.

See above. Probably.

If half odds does buy Evans, will they be required to keep the staff on for two years under TUPE regs? Staff in nearby Cycle Republics should be nervous if so!

mjr wrote:

RickH wrote:Have Halfords been targeting Evans with their Cycle Republic stores? They seem to have opened a lot in close proximity.

See above. Probably.

If half odds does buy Evans, will they be required to keep the staff on for two years under TUPE regs? Staff in nearby Cycle Republics should be nervous if so!

No. Primer here:

https://www.springhouselaw.com/glossary/eto-reason/

Reported recently

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/evans-cycles-sports-direct-mike-ashley-administration-a8609136.html wrote:Evans Cycles sold to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct as part of pre-pack administration
...
UK retailer Evans Cycles has been sold to Sports Direct as part of a pre-pack administration.

A pre-pack administration process allows the sale of an insolvent business before administrators have been appointed.

Evans was previously reported to be fielding offers from rival Halfords, JD Sports, and a number of others, however, Mike Ashley won out.

Ian

Psamathe wrote:Reported recently

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/evans-cycles-sports-direct-mike-ashley-administration-a8609136.html wrote:Evans Cycles sold to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct as part of pre-pack administration
...
UK retailer Evans Cycles has been sold to Sports Direct as part of a pre-pack administration.

A pre-pack administration process allows the sale of an insolvent business before administrators have been appointed.

Evans was previously reported to be fielding offers from rival Halfords, JD Sports, and a number of others, however, Mike Ashley won out.

Ian

Well that's me finished with Evans

mercalia wrote:
Well that's me finished with Evans

Why ?

landsurfer wrote:

mercalia wrote:
Well that's me finished with Evans

Why ?

It seems likely that the current stock will be sold off, then replaced with lower-quality similar-looking items which make more profit and are misleadingly priced to show big discounts, while staff are put on zero-hours contracts, fined for arriving late but not rewarded for working late, made to wait unpaid for security checks before they can leave work and so on. Maybe mercalia doesn't want to support a business where "there’s no happy environment – it’s all miserable, they just want you work faster and faster."

Next report

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/30/fears-for-uk-jobs-as-sports-direct-buys-up-evans-cycles wrote:Fears for hundreds of jobs as Sports Direct buys up Evans Cycles
...
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has bought Evans Cycles out of administration but has warned it may have to close half the specialist retailer’s 62 stores putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

Ian

mjr wrote:

landsurfer wrote:

mercalia wrote:
Well that's me finished with Evans

Why ?

It seems likely that the current stock will be sold off, then replaced with lower-quality similar-looking items which make more profit and are misleadingly priced to show big discounts, while staff are put on zero-hours contracts, fined for arriving late but not rewarded for working late, made to wait unpaid for security checks before they can leave work and so on. Maybe mercalia doesn't want to support a business where "there’s no happy environment – it’s all miserable, they just want you work faster and faster."

So are Sports Direct not subject to UK employment law ?

landsurfer wrote:

mjr wrote:It seems likely that the current stock will be sold off, then replaced with lower-quality similar-looking items which make more profit and are misleadingly priced to show big discounts, while staff are put on zero-hours contracts, fined for arriving late but not rewarded for working late, made to wait unpaid for security checks before they can leave work and so on. Maybe mercalia doesn't want to support a business where "there’s no happy environment – it’s all miserable, they just want you work faster and faster."

So are Sports Direct not subject to UK employment law ?

The jury on that has not been sworn in yet, much less gone out.

mjr wrote:The jury on that has not been sworn in yet, much less gone out.

I genuinely am not aware of the issues around SD, i use their shops, i understand they buy up brand names and have lower quality merchandise produced using the brands, but they also have the most miserable shop staff of any chain i have shopped in .... so your probably right ....