[Closed] Well they dont seem to have as much stock in as they used to

Sounds like an inevitable outcome from a takeover, Decide where you base operations going forward and got for it.

I'm sure many former LBS owners will be devastated by the news - I just had my third mega CRC clear out email in as many days so does look like getting rid of the crap is top priority. From being abroad a bit I'd say wiggle are holding a bigger profile at the moment especially with the road team being up there. CRC just needs to be a portal to the wiggle site until they close that down.

Always found the staff brilliant, especially the warranty staff. Had a nukepeoof upgraded for free after ongoing problems with it eating bushings.

I have noticed over the last year that they aren't discounting bikes like they used to and a general decline in those bargains they always had.

I'l still be using them for bits and bobs but would be hesitant about a big bike purchase after reading that.

Feel sorry for the staff. Being told that your job is safe and then being made redundant 2 months later is pretty shitty.
I feel myself being drawn to the smallest companies possible to buy my kit. Not easy though when faced with cheaper prices.

Disgruntled employee of business that a family "sold out" to private equity thinks grumbling in the press will make any difference?

Does he think PE will be worried that it is generating a reputation for building a leaner business before it sells it on?  They won't.  In fact getting rid of moaning staff probably helps their resale value!

Does he think that the biking public will vote with their wallets?  Those who care about such things already avoid them to support their LBS.

Both have been pretty poor lately for anything I need. Been buying from a far greater variety of retailers this past year.

Easy decision, no more Wiggle or Chain Reaction purchases.

<div class="bbp-reply-author">poly
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Disgruntled employee of business that a family “sold out” to private equity thinks grumbling in the press will make any difference?

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Having been in almost exactly that situation Incan hand on heart say it makes one hell of a difference.

After years of having to bite your tongue and roll over to the upper managements whims, being fed bullshit about jobs and future prospects and then being made redundant the feeling of finally getting your true feelings about how you think the CEO is a grade 1 money grabbing psycopathic **** with no scruples and fewer morals only concerned with getting his smug face in as many photos with world leaders as possible and not with actually growing the company sustainably or showing the same commitment to staff as he says he expects from them during his weekly blog (usually written from a business class seat on a plane and occasionally accompanied by new guidelines on how travel expenses would no longer be signed off for anything more than 2nd class tickets) off your chest is incredibly cathartic.

Tldr: its not supposed to 'help' in any way you listed.

Going from shop floor word of mouth, Wiggle in Wolverhampton are doing much better, lots of long term staff leaving as there push/pull pillar to post. Their internal announcements suggest they've bought another UK mail order company and are looking at a European one.

Being told that your job is safe and then being made redundant 2 months later is pretty shitty.

Too right! Been there done that. I'm sure many many people have.

Wiggle are or arent?

Ordered two things from Wiggle lately both showing in stock then a few days later getting an email saying it is out of stock. Last item was a sweatshirt in a sale, when I emailed a moan about it I was told I had the option of a refund or wait for new stock to arrive in 3-4 weeks and have it at the sale price. Said i'd wait as not in a hurry and then yesterday got an email just stating my money has been refunded. 3 weeks later the item is still showing in stock but at full price.

I've started to use Wiggle a lot less lately and paying the bit extra else where, but sometimes the difference is to great not to use them.

I've not used Wiggle in a couple of years, following the 'the stock we said was in stock, is not' game.

I've used CRC twice in the last year, it used to be monthly.

I'm using wider variety online.

I've used local LBS more, although finding that between two of them there was only one pair of men's medium baggy shorts, cheapest grips beingb£25, and no Shimano BB tool other than a £35(!) one was frustrating....

As normal I completely disagree with poly and will now not be shopping with either Wiggle of CRC. I've been around in retail/investment long enough to see the wood for the trees and can differentiate a disgruntled employee from a screwed one. As for those who 'support their LBS' and those who shop online its obviously possible to do both yet I won't trade knowingly with companies that **** their staff over.

Might explain why my new Oakley's were "lost" , somewhere between dispatch and collect+. Easily sorted with a couple of emails though.

New wheels for a bike I don't yet have might be on their way if they're having a clear out. I'm too tight to take the moral high ground.

I don't think anyone is too big to fail nowadays. There will always be an Aldi or Lidl to pick up the Tesco pieces.

I used to work for a company that was bought by Bridgepoint, they were totally ruthless. Overheads were relentlessly cut and things which were pretty much essential, such as travel to other offices, training etc, had to be stopped, and there were a load of staff cuts. Everyone was stretched to the limit and beyond and it affected the quality of our work but all that mattered was billability, RON, PBIT and all that stuff. I think they sold it again after five years.

Never underestimate human greed!

So effectively by putting this out there he's actually started an event, where people may think **** it im not buying from them, which leads to everyone losing their jobs.

Result for Bridgepoint then.

Yep. But everyone (who matters) is going to lose their jobs anyway. Some will be screwed for longer than others and during that time Bridgepoint will grow slightly fatter. Best put everyone out of their misery sooner rather than later and lose any goodwill for either company that has been built up over years of hard work by dedicated employees yet will not benefit them. At the same time we can buy from other companies who may be better employers.

So effectively by putting this out there he’s actually started an event, where people may think **** it im not buying from them, which leads to everyone losing their jobs.

Result for Bridgepoint then.

Flip that around, 1000 job losses if Wiggle go tits up is probably 2000 LBS jobs due to the inefficiencies.

Or more realistically those mail order bits will just come from merlin/trends/je James/ evans.

If you've ever gone through the shitstorm of an employer being bought out and subsequent "restructuring" you'd probably be looking elsewhere anyway. And those jobs aren't going to be "cycling industry" jobs anyway, they'll be agency warehouse jobs, next month they'll be in Next/BooHoo/little woods/Amazon, whoever's hireing and paying 5p/hr more. They like to put out an image of "by cyclists for cyclists" but in reality its about as accurate as saying people on the checkouts in Tesco's love good food.