[Closed] Rose halting sales of bikes to UK

@superstarcomponents interesting points you make. You must be seeing potential growth in your UK customer base though, given our choices to buy from EU are seemingly reducing?

Hope Canyon don't go the same way (doubt it as I think they recently started selling to the US), the German brands are where it's at for road bikes for the lanky.

As others have said - Brexit must be a factor here, and maybe they've decided to stop for a while and see what the final arrangement looks like..

My brand new Orca came with a warning sticker saying brakes were Euro set up, however on inspection they were UK orientation. I assume the shop swapped them over for me and didn't remove the sticker,

Not really surprised tbh. The brexit thing is making people look at their business.

It's affecting things the other way too. There were always a few UK firms that didn't refund the VAT on orders outside the UK. More and more are now doing it as they adjust their systems.
A guy I know in the US was waiting for the Sonder Signal Steel. When he contacted them they said they were in the midst of updateing their systems and they would be trousering the VAT in order to serve you better. He told them to jog on. He really wanted a Signal too.

16% of my market disspearing would bother me. As others noted brexit might be the real reason though I don’t know why they wouldn’t say it.

True enough but given the number of rose bikes about that 16% of the market may well be 0.0001% of their sales. Just because we buy 16%of the EU's bikes doesn't mean rose sell more than 10 a year here. (look for an orange in Germany for instance)

It's entirely plausible that costs associated with the 1 minute extra QC it takes on every bike to make sure they ship with correct setup according to the destination dwarfs their UK turnover, especially if they're moving away from semi custom builds.

Of course it could also be brexit but there's no reason to disbelieve the reason they've given unless you want it to be something else.

So the majority of the world rides motorbikes with the front brake on the right but a push bike with the front brake on the left and we're the odd ones for having them on the same side?

Of course it could also be brexit but there’s no reason to disbelieve the reason they’ve given unless

You believe that brexit is a toxic subject that no business in it's right mind would mention.

Ftfy

we’re the odd ones for having them on the same side?

Tbf, we don't put the rear brake attached to the left pedal.

Intense are another that has virtually pulled out of the UK, all stock has been sent to Spain.

"An anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value. Dumping is a process wherein a company exports a product at a price that is significantly lower than the price it normally charges in its home (or its domestic) market."

Perhaps they believe this is a possibility from the UK? But there are going to be a number of factors involved in the decision. If you're looking at streamlining production, supply chain risks and massive market uncertainty, then a logical move is to analyse your markets and eliminate those which are the most difficult to service, with consideration given to overall value.
I think as a business it's sensible to avoid Brexit in the PR as it's clearly a contentious topic. If by some miracle Brexit doesn't cause chaos, they can choose to reconsider without burning bridges.

It's pretty obvious the Bozo Boris and the rest of his clowns plan on using the UK as a gateway to dump cheap Chinese tat on the EU market - including bikes - and it's understandable that EU companies want to protect their business. Besides, the UK economy is going to be such a basket case after Covid and Brexit. Going to be interesting come January when everyone has tariff-free access to the UK what manner of dodgy stuff will turn up - it's going to be a smugglers' bonanza. You won't be worrying about what side the brake levers are on when it's made using fake components.

@t3ap0t

I would have thought that if Canyon can now sell bikes to the USA the volumes they've gained would make up for any losses by pulling out of the UK should the need arise.

Unless the next step is BMW and the likes stopping RHD cars for the same reasons!!!!

Four exclamation marks as though that's the most ludicrous idea ever. Try walking into a UK Renault dealer and enquire about getting one of the cars you just saw on holiday on France.

You're shit out of luck if it's one of those weird niche products that they've decided wasn't worth doing RHD like err the Scenic / Grand Scenic, Espace / Grand Espace, Talisman (replacement for the very niche Mondeo competitor the Laguna..).

The Laguna and Twingo didn't leave the RHD markets on new models. They were both dumped when there was a mid-life facelift.

EDIT: Renault have been dropping RHD models significantly since around 2011, so not just Boris / Brexit....

Try walking into a UK Renault dealer and enquire about getting one of the cars you just saw on holiday on France.

You’re shit out of luck if it’s one of those weird niche products that they’ve decided wasn’t worth doing RHD like err the Scenic / Grand Scenic, Espace / Grand Espace, Talisman (replacement for the very niche Mondeo competitor the Laguna..).

Renault and Nissan are tied up quite closely, and they are struggling badly. Killing off low-volume niche products in that situation is not the same as BMW withdrawing from a highly profitable market. BMW will keep making RHD cars for the Japanese market because they make a lot of money there. If it's profitable to sell cars in the UK, BMW will keep doing so.

For Renault and Nissan, anything intended for Japan will be produced in RHD. Anything intended for Europe or the Americas, or other Asian countries, will be produced in LHD. Whether it's profitable to sell the RHD variants in the UK market is another question - if they're selling one per week, it won't be worth the hassle.

Mmmm, uncertainty around shipping, VAT, import duties, customs delays and possibility of UK breaking international law, a crash out Brexit looking likely and if jonba has his facts correct it does raise the question - has the UK market just become too much administrative bother?

You’re shit out of luck if it’s one of those weird niche products that they’ve decided wasn’t worth doing RHD like err the Scenic / Grand Scenic, Espace / Grand Espace, Talisman (replacement for the very niche Mondeo competitor the Laguna..).

Or just target marketing. go to any country around the world and you'll see a whole host of models by all the manufacturers you can't buy in the UK. Different markets want different products. As simple as that.

Talisman (replacement for the very niche Mondeo competitor the Laguna..)

Slightly different to Target Marketing... the Lguna was niche because it was crap. The leader by a long way in this sector were Mondeo's (a good but dull car) then the rise of the BMW 3-Series that ultimately outsold the Mondeo. Unfortunately the Laguna was just rubbish - a mate had one. He got rid after 2 weeks it was so utterly crap and mind numbingly boring. British market was moving up-market into prestige BMW's and Audi's. The Laguna/Talisman were aimed at a lower level in the market place - deliberate market positioning and a shrinking market in the UK for them. We wanted Waitrose, they were offering B&M. Not a large enough market in the UK so pull out. Same with Lancia any decades ago. Rubbish in the UK as they dissolved in front of your eyes so they pulled out rather than make them better.

Future for RHD is secure... India (fifth of worlds population and growing, and a booming economy and aspriational middle class), most of SE Asia (including Indonesia 100m population and growing, booming economy very young and aspirational population and growing middle class, loads of money, like European brands massive target market for everyone), Australia, South Africa...all massive markets who are rich, middle class and like good quality European cars and brands. Compare this to the European and US markets, the traditional key markets but have stagnating economies, ageing and shrinking populations, a middle class that is getting poorer and highly taxed so much less disposable income, politically anti-car with significant government incentives not to buy them. The global market is shifting east in a big way.

Not sure what is behind Rose's decision, but its bound to be that they just don't see the UK as a target market and are consolidating all their efforts to serving and growing the markets they do target...simplifies their product line up (don't have to design products that appeal to UK market), marketing and advertising etc. But they're a teeny tiny bike company so I don't think you can read much into their decision at all - they're not going to influence anyone and if you really properly still want a Rose bike there will be ways you can get them. If it were Specialized then there might be something more in it.

Try walking into a UK Renault dealer and enquire about getting one of the cars you just saw on holiday on France.

You’re shit out of luck if it’s one of those weird niche products that they’ve decided wasn’t worth doing RHD like err the Scenic / Grand Scenic, Espace / Grand Espace, Talisman (replacement for the very niche Mondeo competitor the Laguna..).

If I walked into a Renault dealer and they didn't have anything to sell me I'd consider than a lucky escape 😉

Same comment as I made above about Rose bikes, who cares if renault wont sell some of their cars in the UK? There is so much choice available to us now that I really don't care if an average manufacturer wont sell some average to poor cars in the UK. There are plenty of companies who will sell better cars for less money - Kia for example.

Small companies aren't always focused on maximising income. Sometimes they make enough money doing what they do and the other stuff is just too much bother for the humans who would be doing it.

this is a shame. love my Rose roadie. Fin (the UK rep) was great to deal with. thinking my bike must be now about 5 years old and it still feels new (only changed the wheels, drive chain, tyes, etc etc.....Trigger's new broom n all that!).