BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Cambrian Tyres, European distributor of tyre brand Continental, has recorded spectacular sales, seeing tyre figures quadruple since 2000.
Year-on-year unit sales have increased 30 per cent for the firm since 2007, with the bicycle tyres market catching up with the firm’s motorcycle business.
Cambrian bicycle brand manager Shelley Childs told BikeBiz: “It’s not only tyres, but our tube business has also seen a dramatic rise as we’ve strived to make the Continental brand more attractive both in terms of margin and depth of range.
“Our motorcycle business across all seven major tyre brands is still the main breadwinner at Cambrian, but we are catching them up quickly.”
The growing business has led Cambrian to move to a purpose-built distribution centre in Aberystwyth, now just five miles from company headquarters.
Childs explained: “Being situated between two sites as we have been has been taxing on our staff, transport and deadlines, especially with the growth we’ve had. So, we’ve been planning the move for some time. We’ll be faster and more efficient and that can only be a good thing for our customers and the brand – which is fast becoming the UK’s favourite bicycle tyre label.”
While road tyres are performing particularly well – reflecting anecdotal data from the trade that the sector is performing strongly – all areas are growing for the brand. Childs credited both its distributors for their work in swelling numbers: “Continental is definitely a favourite with the road market and has been traditionally. The MTB and City/Urban ranges are just as strong though, and the depth of the range in these areas means a dealer can stock Continental without worrying about missing sizes or poor margins any longer.
“Our wholesale partners, Madison and Jim Walker, are helping the brand in its growth and they must be credited for their efforts. Both wholesalers have fantastic B2B facilities and have invested time and warehouse space in the brand, meaning that we can deliver Conti to the dealer far quicker than in the past. If there is a product that is out of stock at the wholesaler then that product will be available at Cambrian Tyres, meaning 99 per cent of the entire Conti portfolio is always warehoused in the UK.”
The firm has a multitude of sponsorship deals set up to promote the brand, including with the Athertons off-road and with six pro teams, including Columbia, on road. “Every team wants them,” enthused Childs. “During the winter of 2009/10 we must have had a sponsorship request from almost every major UK road team asking to use Continental Tyres. That speaks volumes. We can’t sponsor everyone, but we’ve partnered up again with some long term friends like Rapha-Condor-Sharp and Motorpoint, along with some new setups like Endura.
“We are looking forward, as everyone is, to the season ahead both from a sales perspective and a sporting one.”
Continental: 01970 833902
