BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Giant has announced its second UK store opening for the new year, this time in Paddock Wood Kent.
The Giant Store, run in partnership with Cadence Performance Group, has taken over the former family-owned Evernden Cycles, as the previous owners retire.
Giant said that renowned for friendly and professional customer service, the store has been the ‘go-to’ bike shop serving the local community and beyond, as the brand plans to keep the shop as the hub of the local cycling community.
Earlier this week, Giant also announced the opening of its first brand store in Scotland, located in the city of Stirling.
On the opening of the new Kent store Ian Beasant, managing director of Giant UK said: “We’re delighted to bring such an established store into the Giant Brand Store family; our goal is to make cycling accessible to all.
The store is in a fantastic location with many great rides and routes nearby.”
Giant opened its first brand store in 2011, and has more plans to roll out other stores in key target locations.
The new Kent store will feature a dedicated offering of Giant and Liv products, along with a performance road area, a workshop, and a bike-fitting service.
George Stavrinidis, managing director of Cadence Performance, said: “We’re striving to integrate into this fantastic community, supporting them with all of our additional services, including bike fitting, coaching, ride-outs, workshops and much more.”
Cadence Performance Group announced the acquisition of Evernden Cycles last year, as Cadence operations director Mike Cunningham explained more about the buy-out.
All staff are staying apart from the owner, Cunningham explained, and Cadence is keen to retain the store’s original customers and build on them, because those relationships are really important. “The recommendations that you get as a retailer from your ambassadors – people who like your service, like what you do and respect and appreciate it, that’s always been the lifeblood for the local bike shop. We don’t want to lose that.
“So far, the customers are really pleased for Tony [Evernden] and his wife Karen, that they’re retiring. The team, the mechanics, the workshop team are very experienced and really good and I think if we retain them, then we’re in a position where people will recognise that there’s not going to be a change in the quality. It’s just going to be a refurbishment.”
