Brompton moving to Halford

[tom73]

I would have thought Halfords alternative retail chain Cycle Republic would have made a better choice? They already sell Bickerton and Tern though.

Like you it sound's a better fit form both side's
They must think that too as they are starting roll out via Cycle Republic according to the article.

 

[FolderBeholder]

In the USA they've started selling standard kit Bromptons at REI, a sporting goods chain (I don't know what Halfords is or how this compares). In this country I think it leads to more awareness of the bike..Bromptons are still a rather rare sight around here.

As for fears of bad service, I don't think it's any different than buying online: you're still likely to end up at a specialist shop for maintenance and repair work.

The people at the REI near me (Encinitas/San Diego Ca) literally scratched their heads when I asked about Bromptons there recently. A blanker expression Ive never seen.

I dont think every REI store carries them, perhaps just those located in certain metropolitan areas (and online)

 

[rogerzilla]

The only dealer-specific job (as opposed to DIY or factory job) is a rear hinge replacement. i can't see Halfords tackling that. It can take an hour to get the old allen bolts out, you need an M10 tap to grab the old bushes and drift them out*, then a £200 dealer-only reamer once the new bushes are in. This requires skills that you can't easily get from a manual or on a Cytech course.

*I've done the job up to that point a couple of times. It's a pig

 

[FolderBeholder]

The only dealer-specific job (as opposed to DIY or factory job) is a rear hinge replacement.

And the seat post packing?

 

[Cycleops]

In the USA they've started selling standard kit Bromptons at REI, a sporting goods chain (I don't know what Halfords is or how this compares). In this country I think it leads to more awareness of the bike..Bromptons are still a rather rare sight around here.

Halfords are a nation wide chain of stores that sell motor parts, accessories and bicycles. They have a bit of a history for messing things up, putting forks on backwards and general inattention to jobs, due to poor staff training and throughput of personnel. On the other hand some branches have been reported as good.They are the largest retailer of cycles in the UK.

 

[rogerzilla]

And the seat post packing?

Officially that's a factory job. I had no problem doing it myself, though - just broke out the old shim, cleaned up the seat tube (frame then went off for a respray) then glued the new shim in with a suitable flexible glue. It didn't need reaming. Brompton probably won't sell you a shim nowadays - they are becoming quite customer-hostile. They won't sell you a stem, for instance - dealer-fit only. A quill stem! It's not a blooming Ferrari F1 car, it's a steel bike with very basic and outmoded parts.

 

[Drago]

They probably feel that there's more money to be made by not letting too many DIY fitted parts into circulation. I'm not sure I'd agree with that tactic myself, but then I'm not making money selling a folding bike for a massive mark up on production and distribution costs.

 

[FolderBeholder]

Officially that's a factory job. I had no problem doing it myself, though - just broke out the old shim, cleaned up the seat tube (frame then went off for a respray) then glued the new shim in with a suitable flexible glue. It didn't need reaming. Brompton probably won't sell you a shim nowadays - they are becoming quite customer-hostile. They won't sell you a stem, for instance - dealer-fit only. A quill stem! It's not a blooming Ferrari F1 car, it's a steel bike with very basic and outmoded parts.

I'm certain they dont want a shim, falling into the hands of someone who may knock them-off at a lower quality and erode some of their brand equity for quality issues. I'm not saying I agree with that, nor disagree.

I'm in the office equipment business, an increasingly proprietary industry (HP is the worst offender...but they all do it) so I'm somewhat accustomed to this practice.

I remember years ago when my car needed a headlight for instance. You'd go the the auto-parts store and pick a round one, or perhaps a rectangular one if your car so equipped, a high beam, low-beam, or combination (for 2 vs. 4 headlight configurations) but you could get a headlight for any car at the same place. Try that now.

I think more and more products are becoming more and more proprietarily componentized.

 

[rogerzilla]

Nah, they happily sold them for 20 years. They're just trying to create business for the dealers

 

[FolderBeholder]

Nah, they happily sold them for 20 years. They're just trying to create business for the dealers

Maybe so...but dealers deserve some buisness though, else there wont be any. At the end of the day, I don’t believe they can keep the doors open without service work, as well as sales.

 

[Drago]

No one deserves to remain in business as a matter of right - they deserve it only if they have a business model that works, and which adapts to the standards of the day. If a dealer can't provide that which the customer wants then there are a dozen firms waiting in the wings who can.

 

[Cycleops]

I should think UK sales are falling and Brompton need to maximise their sales effort. I'm sure they considered Halfords previously but rejected them for whatever reason.

 

[Drago]

I like greasy back street bike shops run by old men who chew their beards, with nudey calendars from 1976 on the walls. Means I've got some one who probably knows what they are doing, and wastes no effort or expense on any form of pretence.

 

[Cycleops]

If they're buying from Halfords they'll expect the price to be less extortionate.

Which makes Halfords seem all the more a rather unlikely choice for Brompton. You can image the scenario when a customer asks the sales lad what's the difference between this one and the Brompton at four times the price. Er, it folds a bit smaller.

 

[Freds Dad]

They probably chose Halfords because of the number of customers they get through the door. One of my neighbours wanted a bike for his child and asked me where was the best place to go. I pointed him toward the LBS but he ended up at Halfords because they were cheaper.
Two weeks later he was taking the bike back because it was faulty and then complained about the service. If only he had listened.