Shimano Ultegra hits e-tail with immediate 27% discount
Shimano’s new Ultegra groupset is beginning to ship to the market with the trend toward instant discounting already ever-present.
Online many of the e-tail giants have settled on discounts of approximately 27% off the retail price, placing availability of the complete group at around £799, as opposed to £1,099.
In launching a Facebook promotion earlier in June Shimano faced an instant backlash from independent bike retailers who outlined that they felt they saw “no point in stocking” the high-end catalogues due to margin erosion.
At the time one retailer posted to the brand’s page: “As a LBD there’s absolutely no point in stocking it or anything else from Shimano anymore. Chain Reaction are already discounting pre-orders and will inevitably lower the price again beyond trade. The rest of us (who helped you get where you are) just can’t afford to compete. More wall space for SRAM, I suppose.”
Ultegra now benefits from trickledown tech from Dura-Ace, as well as some similar aesthetic inspiration. The 2018 shifters have been reworked to add comfort. Accommodation for wider 28mm tyres has also seen the brake arch widen, while the rear derailleur will now handle a 11-34 cassette.
CyclingIndustry.News recently asked the trade how they currently combat the internet shopper’s arrival when presented with web-sourced groupsets for fitting. Read more on varying retailer’s approaches here.
