Rutland Cycling acquires Nottingham’s Specialized Concept Store
Independent bicycle retail chain Rutland Cycling has acquired the Nottingham Specialized Concept Store in Nottingham, the firm has told CI.N.
Having previously taken over Pitsford Cycles in June, this represents Rutland’s second acquisition in a matter of months and the firm’s 12th branch. A further multi-million pound store in Leicester due to open in 2018, in partnership with Everards Brewery.
David Middlemiss, managing director of Rutland Cycling, said ahead the store re-opening tomorrow: “We are delighted to announce this acquisition, representing an exciting new chapter for Rutland Cycling with our first Specialized Concept Store. The strength of the Specialized brand in the UK, combined with our retail expertise and experience running highly successful Giant brand stores over the past seven years, makes this a good strategic move for us, and comes at a time when cycling participation in Nottingham, as with other UK cities, is on the rise.”
The store, located at 184 Nottingham Road, just north of the city centre, has been closed through August for refurbishment and will re-open on Friday 8th September, with a new Electric Bike section, re-vamped Workshop, and a significantly expanded range of bikes and cycling gear, including models from Specialized’s new 2018 range. There will also be exclusive introductory offers on products and servicing, available in store only.
Managing Director of Specialized UK, Simon Homer, said: “Specialized has had a close relationship with Rutland Cycling ever since our bikes first entered the UK market in the 1980s. Having observed Rutland’s recent expansion, we have been impressed with their strong operations and retail expertise. They represent a great fit for us, to build upon the existing strong foundations of our Nottingham store, and we are very much looking forward to growing the business further with Rutland.”
With backing from the Business Growth Fund since 2014, Rutland Cycling have made significant investments to grow their store and online presence.
Paul Archer, Director and son of Rutland’s founder, reflected: “The last four years have been a great success story for Rutland amid tough times in the cycle retail sector, and we look forward to further growth ahead as we build our family business for the long-term. Our family values and business vision mean we are committed to delivering the best: best brands, best prices, and the best customer experience, wherever our customers choose to shop with us.”
Rutland Cycling began life in 1981 as a simple cycle hire cabin on the shores of newly-created Rutland Water. In addition to its twelve retail stores, at Rutland Water, Grafham Water, Cambridge, Peterborough, Fineshade and now Nottingham, Rutland has a successful online presence through its website, www.rutlandcycling.com, something that it is investing in heavily at present.
Rutland Cycling will be profiled in the Q4 CyclingIndustry.News Trade Journal, for which UK bicycle businesses can sign up for free here.
