GT drop Halfords !!!
Comments
-
I just realised after my earlier post that they already have a Voodoo 5 inch trailbike as well as their own Banshee XXXXXXXX. X. And they'd stopped selling the Idrive Elite and the Aggressor XCR Elite already I think. So the gaps I thought it left aren't really very big.
It seems like they're running Boardman as an XC brand mainly so I reckon it'll be Carrera that'll take up the strain, a Fury Pro or something maybe.Uncompromising extremist0 -
i heard it was halfords who dropped gt, not the other way around as gt bikes are rubbish according to the blokes at halfords.0
-
I heard about this for some time, I don't think it's so much GT dropping Halfords as the other way round, I work at halfords and spoke to a guy high on up on a store visit who said GT were upping the price to halfords and this was going to erode an already somewhat delicate profit margin so halfords pulled the plug on a new deal...bigger loss to GT imo
halfords are negotiating with a 'premium' brand supplier trying to fill the gap left by GT...0 -
All GT did was supply the frames - nothing else. The bikes were all specced bike Halfords from about 2000 onwards. My guess is that it was a 10 year frame supply contract that has now ended. Loss to GT I think not.0
-
Thing is, kona's lower models represent terrible value for money, Dart forks on their £1000 FS rigs? Come on....MacAndCheese wrote:I think the damage has been done, but it's still good news, Kona need to do the same.0 -
I'd like to know what percentage of UK GT sales was through Halfords myself... Pretty much all the modern GTs I've seen on the trails have been Halfords' own models. Lots of Aggressor XCRs for obvious reasons (they're ace)Uncompromising extremist0
-
to me it could be agood thing for gt as image gos may be it was halfords that dropped gt becouse gt wont to put prices up.
but to me since gt went bust and then came back there prices where very good for what you got compered to other brands even in your lbs.
yer i think prices will go up abit but look how much other brands gone up.
who ever droped who best thing for gt better image shops selling gt with better service will help.
once you buy from halfords you dont wont to go back ..
GT IS GOOD BIKES HALFORD ARE RUBBISHplay hard ride hard0 -
translation anyone?0
-
If this kind of genius thinks Halfords are bad, maybe we should listen.
On the other hand, my local Halfords is pretty good, in my experience. Bike was a bargain and set up right, they sorted a problem that appeared on the brakes (went well beyond what I'd have expected) and I get things like mech hangers free
0 -
The main benefit is to the consumer in that a potential GT buyer is less likely to get a monkey reject from PC World/Dixons stores who hasn't got a clue trying to sell them something unsuitable or giving them bad advice, and then getting rid of shoddy after sales.The Northern Monkey wrote:how is this good news?
wether halfords are crap or not... the bike is still the same.
That's not to say many LBS aren't just as bad though, but many are so much better.
Halfords has its place though. Mainly in deals they can offer. I'm not going to knock them for that as I got my GT from them. Thing is I knew what I wanted and it was just a case of handing over the money and taking the bike. Didn't want any further dealing or advice from them. Much the same as how I approach PC World (generally at arms length).
There's the argument that bulk sellers like Halfords make life difficult for the LBS to compete however, but its possible prices will go up for the consumer which isn't so good, but if they get a good service instead then maybe it's worth it.0 -
deadkenny wrote:getting rid of shoddy after sales.
That's not to say many LBS aren't just as bad though, but many are so much better.
Many Halfords are good too!
My cousin's just bought a Kraken, some spokes were loose on the back wheel so a buckle had developed, and he wanted to get the front checked too. Took the wheels in and they've given him a brand new set, front and rear, no hassle.
My Juicy 7s had a wierd problem where the rear lever wouldn't spring back after it had been pulled. The brakes themselves functioned well, but the leveer would flop about for a bit after being pulled....ahem.
Anyway, I'd agreed to pick the bike up in the afternoon of whichever day it was. The bikehut guys looked at it in the morning, couldn't sort it. Bled, lubed, dismantled etc with no joy. So by lunchtime they were stumped.
At 5pm I picked up the bike after a truck had been sent from head office to pick up the bike, take it to wherever the Boardman tech people hide, they'd looked at it, couldn't sort it so fitted a brand new set of brakes, then it was sent back to the store in time for me to pick up. I was pretty chuffed.0 -
-
I've said it before, but a good Halfords is like a good LBS, but with the resources to back up the good intentions.
A bad LBS can be worse than a bad Halfords, because at least with Halfords you can take it to another store or customer services. Whereas if Dave from "Dave's Bikes" tells you to fcuk off, it's trading standards or nobody!0 -
Halfords certainly hav their place in the bike selling world. When I got back into biking I was never out the place and built up a good relationship with the Bikehut manager. I always got a good level of service from them.
I think this is a massive loss to GT. Even if they're only selling low end bikes via Halfords it'll be the majority of bikes sold and money made. That gives them the basis to develop high end bikes.
Don't underestimate brand loyalty either, someone starting out biking is hugely likely to buy at Halfords. Selling them a low end GT could create a customer for life.
I think this is not something Halfords are bothered about, most of the bikes in Bikehuts are Boardmans or Carerras anyway and they seem to push these ones. As they are solely linked to halfords it must be more beneficial to sell those bikes.
Can't see Boardman trying to break the link either tbh. Halfords has huge C2W links. That's the reason a lot of Boardman's are sold.Current steed is a '07 Carrera Banshee X
+ cheap road/commuting bike0 -
Problem I find is not so much the branch of Halfords, but the staff they have on at the time. You can go in on one particular day and time and get the guy who's an expert and knows his stuff. Go another time and you get the kid still at school/college doing part time cover who looks at you clueless and then has to find a manager but can't.
That said, I have had the same in Evans also, though I find there's a greater number of staff who at least have some idea what you're on about in there than in Halfords.
I've had good an bad experiences everywhere, and good even in Halfords, but it's just the bad has been in the majority with Halfords (and not just for bikes).0 -
I got my GT from Halfords (C2W). While I was looking I spoke to about 5 different guys at the store. One knew absolutely nothing about bikes apart from they had two wheels (I'm not exaggerating either). One was mediocre to say the least.
Even though I had decided on the GT or Boardman after taking advice here, two of them still tried selling me a Carrerra even though I had told them that I wasn't interested in one of them - maybe there is better commission or profit in own-brands.
Strangely enough, the two that actually seemed to know about bikes (and were bikers themselves) genuinly seem to rate the GT - one was actually quite jealous that I'd got the I-Drive.
It raises the question though, even if Halfords do sell more bikes than anywhere else, how many more units could GT sell if Halfords actually pushed the brand instead of trying to steer people towards Carrerra?GT I-Drive 5 XCR '09
Trek 6500 '010 -
chappers666 wrote:Even though I had decided on the GT or Boardman after taking advice here, two of them still tried selling me a Carrerra even though I had told them that I wasn't interested in one of them - maybe there is better commission or profit in own-brands.
Happens in lots of shops, this, Edinburgh Bike put me off buying from them in 1991 by doing just this, "Don't buy the one you want, buy the one we want you to buy". Likewise my official LBS, weren't interested in selling me anything but their Meridas because that was the stock they wanted rid of (but wouldn't price down to clear).Uncompromising extremist0 -
we arent on commision, but IMO the carrera Kraken is better than the XC3 and the Fury better than the XC2. if u ask for my opinion i will give you my opinion. if u want me to tell you your right and the bike youve chosen is the best bike ever i will also do this. the customer is always right in our halfords
AND ....... we give good after sales. we had a chap today who had had 4 punctures in 4 rides, and refused to understand that this was bad luck on his part, so new tyre and tube was given for free so he went away happy.
however i have been in another halfords store, and i wouldnt let them touch my bike with a bargepole, so it just depends where u go.
oh and as for GTs not being at halfords, economy of scale suggests the prices will go up or the spec will go down. and we can get spares for anything and everything we ever sell, and normally (not always mind) fairly quickly too, so depends on who you think has lost out. but i think its the buyer personally0 -
How many GTs were Halfords selling anyway? The majority of their sales must surely be at the bargain end of Apollos and the like. When I got mine they seemed to be in shock that someone was buying one (and confused because they only understand Apollo).
Maybe GT would do better through outlets where punters are likely to spend more money.0 -
deadkenny wrote:How many GTs were Halfords selling anyway? The majority of their sales must surely be at the bargain end of Apollos and the like. When I got mine they seemed to be in shock that someone was buying one (and confused because they only understand Apollo).
Maybe GT would do better through outlets where punters are likely to spend more money.
But then out of all the GTs sold, how many were sold through Halfords?
If Halfords represent half of GTs UK sales, but GT only account for 1% of Halfords turnover, then the impact of this will clearly hit one party more than the other
0 -
But GT only supply the frames to Halfords, probably very cheaply and at little profit.
Halfords spec the frames.0 -
supersonic wrote:But GT only supply the frames to Halfords, probably very cheaply and at little profit.
Halfords spec the frames.
Well in that case maybe neither side cares 0 -
be glad to see the back of them, purely based on the amount of packaging they come wrapped in. 0
-
The GT's sold through halfords seem to represent good value for money compared to the ones sold through your LBS, so that seems a bit of a loss if i was thinking of having one.
The issue regarding halfords as a supplier bears little relevance to me, i've had and seen poorly assembled bikes from all manner of places (heck my stem was loose on my cannondale i just got today from leisure lakes) but i'd always wanna go over my own bike myself for the satisfaction everything is okay, and lets face it theres hardly much to go wrong with a bike and if there is something wrong, you should be able to notice it very quickly if you have any kind of mechanical sympathy. Parts availability again is of no relevance i get my stuff cheaper online even if i used a LBS for my bike i'd still shop online, and as pretty much everything is standard fit thats no real issue.
Payday might see me going in for a GT Z.U.M. as my next commuter for a bargain price 0 -
My local Halfords was very good when my 17 year old Marin was nicked. Insurance dealt with them and I even managed to barter them down a bit on the replacement GT and get £50 of accessories thrown in.
When the light brackets got nicked later they gave me a free replacement set.0 -
Seems to be an awful lot of GTs in Evans Cycles right now....0
-
Bought my GT ID5 XCR from Halfords about a month ago (on the recommendation of SuperSonic, great bike btw, did i ever say thanks) and the Manager of the BikeHut where i got it from was great.
When i went to pick it up it was 10 mins to closing and i wanted a new pump and a few bits etc as well and he told me that if i order them online they have a special offer on that was a BOGOFF offer, so he cancelled my order, and made a new collection order with all the bits on i wanted.
He also said they had a half price 1 year warranty/service offer on and with that he not only would do the normal stuff that they do with that like maintenance and a service etc, but if i needed/wanted more than 1 service just phone up and say the bottom bracket is creaking, bring the bike in and see him and he will service it as many times as i want 8)
For £8 im not going to refuse that am i
I did say id sort him a few beers if he did, he seemed happy with that as did i.
And he is a biker, seemed to know his potatoes and stopped on an extra 20 mins just chatting etc.
1st time dealing with Halfords for a bike, and tbh cant fault the bloke i dealt with.0 -
acac wrote:to me it could be agood thing for gt as image gos may be it was halfords that dropped gt becouse gt wont to put prices up.
but to me since gt went bust and then came back there prices where very good for what you got compered to other brands even in your lbs.
yer i think prices will go up abit but look how much other brands gone up.
who ever droped who best thing for gt better image shops selling gt with better service will help.
once you buy from halfords you dont wont to go back ..
GT IS GOOD BIKES HALFORD ARE RUBBISH
Can we have joined up writing please along with spelling we can understand?Life's good
Boardman MTB Team0 -
Bugger..Wish i had waited a few weeks to get my GT, they have now dropped them by 20% across the range :evil:0
