Chain Reaction Cycles stops selling Shimano products to US
UPDATE:
Shimano US have passed this statement to CI.N: “We will not comment on specifics but with consistently changing market dynamics we have to adapt our strategies to protect Shimano’s brand position in the bicycle market.”
UK-based Chain Reaction Cycles has announced on its website that it will no longer sell Shimano products in to North America from 1 January.
When shoppers in the US and Canada visit the Chain Reaction site, the home page currently states: “Unfortunately from January 1, we will no longer be able to sell Shimano into your country. We’re working with Shimano to be able to sell to you again in the future.”
In the past, Shimano has come under fire from North American IBDs for not clamping down on low retail and discount sales by the likes of Chain Reaction and Wiggle (which merged back in 2016), which are far lower than dealers’ wholesale costs. This has recently resulted in IBDs reducing the amount of Shimano parts they stock, or cutting Shimano out of their inventories altogether.
