Halfords to close Cycle Republic and Boardman stores

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Mar 17, 2020

Halfords has announced plans to wind down its cycling businesses following a strategic review. Tredz, the online cycling destination, will continue to operate as usual.

Cycle Republic sells bikes, bike components, accessories and cycling clothing like jackets, vests, base layers, shorts and shoes, while Boardman is an award-winning bicycle brand.

A consultation process has been launched with 226 staff affected by the proposed closures with a view to mitigating redundancies where possible. All Cycle Republic and Boardman stores will close during the first half of 2021.  

“The board has come to the difficult, but necessary, decision to propose the closure of Cycle Republic, our retail store-focussed performance cycling brand,” said Graham Stapleton, CEO of Halfords. 

“This proposal is not a reflection of the hard work of our Cycle Republic colleagues, who I would like to thank for their commitment and passion in serving our customers. We are now moving into a period of consultation with impacted colleagues with a view to mitigating as many redundancies as possible.”

Halfords said the decision reflects the challenging economics of a store-based dedicated performance cycling operation, which was “low-returning” and “stock intensive”. However, the business will continue to serve the enthusiast cycling market through Tredz, a predominantly online business.