Sky and Rapha

Gazzaputt

inkyfingers wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

It's a clever business model.

They obviously have good quality kit, make it look nice, and off the back of that core (which isn't especially overpriced compared to the rivals) sell an awful lot of overpriced stuff - like silk scarves for £50 and carbon fibre coffee patters or whatever they're called for £90. Don't have to sell too many of those to make some good money.

Indeed. A quick (and admittedly crude) look at their abbreviated accounts shows that their net assets increased from £906,380 to £2,065,073 and their cash holding increased from £177,165 to £614,307 in the financial year to 31 Jan '12. They would appear to be doing something right.

Well if Adidas are paying €700,000 per year they need to up their profit margin.

inkyfingers

Rick Chasey wrote:

One of the top 100 fastest growing companies in the UK.

Where did you get that info from Rick?

I would be very (though pleasantly) surprised if much of their clothing is made in the UK.

inkyfingers

Gazzaputt wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

It's a clever business model.

They obviously have good quality kit, make it look nice, and off the back of that core (which isn't especially overpriced compared to the rivals) sell an awful lot of overpriced stuff - like silk scarves for £50 and carbon fibre coffee patters or whatever they're called for £90. Don't have to sell too many of those to make some good money.

Indeed. A quick (and admittedly crude) look at their abbreviated accounts shows that their net assets increased from £906,380 to £2,065,073 and their cash holding increased from £177,165 to £614,307 in the financial year to 31 Jan '12. They would appear to be doing something right.

Well if Adidas are paying €700,000 per year they need to up their profit margin.

If they keep going like they seem to be then pretty soon they'll probably need to start filing full accounts, including profit & loss.

rick_chasey

was in the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing UK private companies for 2011.

They're looking for a designer, lawyer, and accountant btw.

Edit: and head of IT.

APIII

Yellow Peril wrote:

Exactly. Someone in the shoe business told me once that the real money is made in all of the polishes and protectors that they palm you off with at the point of sale when you buy your loafers.

Have't we all been palmed off with shoe polish at some point?

keyser__soze

curium wrote:

Where is Rapha kit made?

http://www.rapha.cc/made-in-china

Yellow Peril

Rick Chasey wrote:

One of the top 100 fastest growing companies in the UK.

It's a shame I have no retail experience really. The Dutch market is primed and ready.

Wilfred de Jong did his Paris-Roubaix documentary in full rapha kit - leather gloves and all, and he got so many comments asking what his kit was.

Similarly, every Dutch roadie I see riding outside of the Netherlands is riding about £5k worth of kit.

Primed I tell ya.

Advert:

Man 1: A good race by the winner and my what great kit he was wearing.

Man 2: Yes he wears "Chasey" the kit brand of the discerning cyclist

Man1 (with long shot to winner who is smoking a pipe and surrounded by burds): My, if only I could be like that..

Pross

Rick Chasey wrote:

was in the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing UK private companies for 2011.

They're looking for a designer, lawyer, and accountant btw.

Edit: and head of IT.

Career change opportunity for Frenchie - he can make sure the Raphaelites are dressed properly

inkyfingers

Rick Chasey wrote:

was in the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing UK private companies for 2011.

They're looking for a designer, lawyer, and accountant btw.

Very interesting, I wonder how they measured "growth"?

Unfortunately I don't qualify for any of those roles, even if I did I doubt i'd pass the required cool test. In a previous job I did try and contact them about their print work, got nowhere. Rouleur has since been hived off as a seperate ltd co it would seem.

Just browsing their website and this made me laugh...

Jersey Downsize offer

If you have purchased a jersey this year and lost weight through riding, Rapha would like to offer you a 50% discount on your new size jersey. Simply download, print, and complete the form below, then send it along with your old jersey back to Rapha. Rapha will then send you your new jersey with free delivery.

rick_chasey

Pross wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

was in the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing UK private companies for 2011.

They're looking for a designer, lawyer, and accountant btw.

Edit: and head of IT.

Career change opportunity for Frenchie - he can make sure the Raphaelites are dressed properly

Great shout.

FF! F*ck sh!tty FI prop trading. Get designing!

lostboysaint

Gazzaputt wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

It's a clever business model.

They obviously have good quality kit, make it look nice, and off the back of that core (which isn't especially overpriced compared to the rivals) sell an awful lot of overpriced stuff - like silk scarves for £50 and carbon fibre coffee patters or whatever they're called for £90. Don't have to sell too many of those to make some good money.

Indeed. A quick (and admittedly crude) look at their abbreviated accounts shows that their net assets increased from £906,380 to £2,065,073 and their cash holding increased from £177,165 to £614,307 in the financial year to 31 Jan '12. They would appear to be doing something right.

Well if Adidas are paying €700,000 per year they need to up their profit margin.

This is what I keep coming back to in my mind. Unless Adidas have yanked their deal (perhaps cycling isn't providing the returns that they expected) I am surprised that anyone else has been able to "outbid" for the role of tech apparel partner. Unless Rapha is about to become part of the Adidas empire..................(there's plenty of other niche brands in there!!)

rick_chasey

inkyfingers wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

was in the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing UK private companies for 2011.

They're looking for a designer, lawyer, and accountant btw.

Very interesting, I wonder how they measured "growth"?

Google is your friend Mr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Tim ... _Track_100

TMR

inkyfingers wrote:

Just browsing their website and this made me laugh...

Jersey Downsize offer

If you have purchased a jersey this year and lost weight through riding, Rapha would like to offer you a 50% discount on your new size jersey. Simply download, print, and complete the form below, then send it along with your old jersey back to Rapha. Rapha will then send you your new jersey with free delivery.

More companies should do this.

frenchfighter

Keyser__Soze wrote:

curium wrote:

Where is Rapha kit made?

http://www.rapha.cc/made-in-china

Which is why buying replica Team kit from Chinese firms is nothing to worry about. Pretty much the same quality and at a fraction of the price.

TMR

frenchfighter wrote:

Which is why buying replica Team kit from Chinese firms is nothing to worry about. Pretty much the same quality and at a fraction of the price.

And occasionally *cough* from the same factory as the 'original'.

frenchfighter

That is a possibility and I would not condone it or buy it if I knew. However, replica anything in China is common place. They are superb at it. I even saw a document where people had done replicas of famous artwork and even seasoned pros struggled to tell the difference.

Pross

The Mad Rapper wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Just browsing their website and this made me laugh...

Jersey Downsize offer

If you have purchased a jersey this year and lost weight through riding, Rapha would like to offer you a 50% discount on your new size jersey. Simply download, print, and complete the form below, then send it along with your old jersey back to Rapha. Rapha will then send you your new jersey with free delivery.

More companies should do this.

Hang on, am I missing something here? You buy a new jersey at 50% off but have to send your old jersey back. Therefore you have paid 150% of the original jersey price but still have only one jersey!! No wonder they can afford to be Sky's new kit supplier - marketing genius to rip someone off and make them think they've got a great deal

step-hent

Rick Chasey wrote:

was in the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing UK private companies for 2011.

They're looking for a designer, lawyer, and accountant btw.

Edit: and head of IT.

Ooh, where did it say they were looking for a lawyer? The other roles have been on the site, but can't see that one. Or do you know that from your recruitment contacts?

Pross

Keyser__Soze wrote:

curium wrote:

Where is Rapha kit made?

http://www.rapha.cc/made-in-china

My synopsis of that - we have some of our designs made up in China as the quality is as good as in the West whilst our costs are significantly less therefore maximising profit on our premium price goods. Don't worry about ethics, the Chinese are happy and we're good people honest

inkyfingers

frenchfighter wrote:

That is a possibility and I would not condone it or buy it if I knew. However, replica anything in China is common place. They are superb at it. I even saw a document where people had done replicas of famous artwork and even seasoned pros struggled to tell the difference.

The difference is that if you buy through the mainstream channels they are likely to have had ethical audits and such like. If you buy copies then there is a fair chance that they were made in a factory that hasn't passed any form of audit. A lot of clothing manufacture has also moved from China to other south asian countries where wages and working conditions are often much worse.

I have to say I don't share your relaxed attitude to copyright theft for financial gain.

rick_chasey

step-hent wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

was in the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing UK private companies for 2011.

They're looking for a designer, lawyer, and accountant btw.

Edit: and head of IT.

Ooh, where did it say they were looking for a lawyer? The other roles have been on the site, but can't see that one. Or do you know that from your recruitment contacts?

Er, oh dear.

Barista/trainee barista

Location: Brewer St, London

Rapha has been creating the world’s finest cycling clothing and accessories since 2004. Designed without compromise for the most discerning riders, Rapha products blend classic style with optimum performance.

This summer, Rapha is opening its flagship London Cycle Club, a combined café and retail space just off Regent Street. We are looking for experienced or trainee baristas and front-of-house staff.

With both full- and part-time positions available, first and foremost we’re looking for people with bags of personality. You’ll need to be fun, hard-working but also thoroughly professional.

Training will be provided by baristas from the award-winning Espresso Room and this is a rare opportunity to acquire skills of the highest standard using cutting-edge equipment and the very finest ingredients.

To apply for this job, you will need demonstrate a genuine interest in culinary and coffee culture. An interest in cycling is preferable, although not absolutely necessary.

The cafe opens 19th July, so applicants will need to be available by that date.

I skim read that as "barrister" and figured they needed some law stuff.

nweststeyn

^^^ Amazing

lostboysaint

That is quite funny Mr Moderator.

inkyfingers

Where's the dunce hat smilie Rick?

Or are starbucks now offering legal advice while you wait for somebody to toss off into your coffee?

rick_chasey

step-hent

Ha. Brilliant. Bit gutted though!

Yellow Peril

step-hent wrote:

Ha. Brilliant. Bit gutted though!

me too. I was convinced of their need for a commercial property lawyer based in the middle of the Irish Sea. God Damn you Rapha!

calmx5

I think this will signal the end of the Sample sales at Rapha though - they simply will be more of a manufacturing machine + it'll take a bit of the rapha-esque snobbery out of it. I think the reason adidas has lost the deal is cause they were too occupied with marketing olympic kit...

Le Commentateur

Rapha's OK, it's Burberry for bikes really. The image associated with this brand is a such a huge part of the rapid growth of the company, otherwise they'd be just another kit manufacturer.

As for Rapha wool jersys – presumably not being used for Sky – they're a bit like the modern form of a traditional "hairshirt", worn during moments of suffering as penance:

"In modern times the use of the hairshirt has been generally confined to the members of certain religious orders, but during the early ages of Christianity the use of hair-cloth became very common, not only amongst the ascetics and those who aspired to the life of perfection, but even amongst ordinary lay people in the world, who made it serve as an unostentatious antidote for the outward luxury and comfort of their lives. St. Jerome, for instance, mentions the hairshirt as being frequently worn under the rich and splendid robes of men in high worldly positions. Cassian, however, disapproved of it being used by monks, as if worn outside it was too conspicuous and savoured of vanity."

frenchfighter