Velorution announces business to close
One month after announcing that Velorution was up for sale, the business has announced that it is closing all 4 stores, and the website.
The announcement reads: “Velorution has been serving the London bike community for nearly 20 years, but sadly due to the economic conditions (which have been particularly harsh on the cycling industry) and circumstances beyond our control (a bus crashing into our Chelsea store certainly didn’t help!), we have sadly decided to enter into a programme which will involve the closure of each of Velorution’s four shops and its website.
Whilst we’re currently offering 25% off everything (some exclusions apply) on our website we will be undertaking a closing-down sale from the 18th of September for approximately one week. All of our stock will be sold so be sure to grab a one-in-a-lifetime bargain – either online or in-store.
We’d like to take this moment to thank every single one of our customers who has shopped with us over the past two decades. Whether that’s been buying a bike, visiting us for a service or even just buying a coffee from our famous trike (which is also for sale) – it’s been a great journey and we hope to see another generation of Velorution in future.
All of our stores remain open and contactable for enquiries during this time.”
A market overview: Economic. Societal. Political.
The news comes in the wake of a recent Road.cc feature, highlighting that, “UK bike sales fall even further after dropping to lowest level in 20 years” with the data based insight coming from a recent Bicycle Association report.
Julien Scriven, MD of Brompton Bike Hire, points to a laughable disconnect at Government level, regarding active travel, its funding, implementation, and the impact this has on uptake.
“…..government cuts funding and then states when cycling drops: ‘the increased funding was part of an “ambitious” strategy to ensure that half of all journeys in towns and cities will be walked or cycled by the end of the decade.’ Trudy Harrison, (the minister formerly responsible for active travel).”
“I know we live in a post truth culture, but this is becoming ludicrous.”
Quoted in the same Road.cc feature, Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK said: “These statistics should be wake up call for the government, which has already been told in crystal clear terms by the National Audit Office that it can’t meet its own targets without substantially increasing investment in active travel.
“Multiple government polices recognise the carbon reduction, public health, air pollution and economic benefits which flow from more people cycling and walking, particularly for short journeys. It’s therefore imperative that the government reflects on these figures, and urgently reverses the cuts in the Autumn Statement.”
A quantifiable challenge
Taking the data based reporting, combined with an asinine (disjointed / conflicted / insincere) governmental approach to active travel – rhetoric detached from policy, funding reality and implementation – it’s not difficult to see why a business as well established as Velorution has reached a point where exiting the sector is the business decision being made, which then leads to closing the business, having failed to find a buyer.
