Is Bikehut being quietly shelved?

The conversion is taking place right now, amid no fanfare. Store staff no longer answer the phone as ‘Bikehut’ but as ‘Halfords’.

The Havant branch of Bikehut was, in effect, a corporate-owned IBD and the conversion into a standard Halfords is a significant move by the CVC-owned retail chain.

Or is it?

Halfords PR director Barbara Cadd says the conversion is not an indication of national changes.

"The Havant store was a tester store. We’re changing the format of this particular store as part of the ongoing testing of retail formats."