272:
On 27 October 2023 a notice was published to The
Gazette announcing an administrator for the Wiggle Limited business following a period where the parent company's key financial backer pulled the plug on financing. This eventually resulted in most of the staff being laid off in February 2024, and in
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As business continued to grow a mail order service was created and advertisements were placed in cycling publications. In 1998 the business was moved again to a warehouse to accommodate the increase in orders through the mail order service.
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The sales grew each year. In 2011 revenues were £136.4 million (€170 million). Its peak sales were in 2013, at £155.6 million. By this time the website was providing multi lingual service and currency options for many countries.
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in 1989 and the name of the shop was changed to
Ballyclare Cycles. During this time the Watson family organised some of the first ever downhill races in Ireland and put together the first ever Northern Ireland Downhill series.
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CRC closed their
Northern Irish warehouse to integrate their stock into Wiggle's 'Citadel', but retains its own branding and website. The combined Wiggle CRC group generated an annual revenue of over £300 million.
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After the
Competition Commission approved the merger in July 2016 and Wiggle bought 100% of the Chain Reactions Cycle equity from the Watson family, the Wiggle CRC group was formed.
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Chain
Reaction Cycles also retain a bricks & mortar retail store on Boucher Road, Belfast. The store sells a selection of their stock, and has a workshop for cycle maintenance.
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In
October 2017 Wiggle CRC bought German company Bike24 for over £100 million, which continues to operate separately. The group's combined revenue is now estimated at £500 million.
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Cycles which was opened in 1985 by George and Janice Watson using a £1500 bank loan in the small village of
Ballynure in Northern Ireland.
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CRC makes a small number of its own components and one complete bicycle under its own brand name, "Brand X".
197:. WiggleCRC entered administration in October 2023, and only the brands were transferred to the new owners.
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655:
602:"Local bike shops look away now - reports of worsening losses at Wiggle are exaggerated | road.cc"
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351:"'Once the warehouse is clear, it's game over' – WiggleCRC lays off almost entire workforce"
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174:, having been bought after WiggleCRC went into administration with losses of £97 million.
8:
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420:"Retail Week - Chain Reaction: 10 things you didn't know about the cycles etailer"
378:"Nicholls Fuel Oils highest ranked family business in Belfast Telegraph's Top 100"
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A merger between Wiggle and Chain
Reaction Cycles was announced in February 2016.
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27:
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www.ChainReactionCycles.com and launched the Chain
Reaction Cycles website.
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resulted in the formation of the WiggleCRC Group, whose head office was in
630:"WiggleCRC confirms it has bought German e-commerce site Bike24 | road.cc"
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By 2015 sales had decreased to £136 million, with shares mainly going to
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Irish Times - Pretax profit of €170m at world's largest online bike shop
303:"What the story of Evans Cycles can tell us about the future of Wiggle"
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330:"Danske Bank gets top spot in Belfast Telegraph's Top 100 Companies "
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Previously it was an online retailer of cycling products based in
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460:"Ballyclare-based Chain Reaction Cycles sees its profits rise"
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Chain
Reaction Cycles started out as a small bike shop named
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BBC News - Online-bike shop Chain Reaction makes £13m profit
514:"Merger of Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles approved - MBR"
489:"Sales at Chain Reaction Cycles down after currency moves"
239:, a UK competitor. The company also required investment.
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March 2024 the brands started to operate as part of the
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119:products. Outdoor and casual sports apparel.
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212:The business moved to larger premises in
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698:1985 establishments in Northern Ireland
656:"Wiggle Limited appoints administrator"
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693:Retail companies established in 1985
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224:In late 1999 the company registered
395:"25 years of Chain Reaction Cycles"
336:. By Margaret Canning – 12 May 2015
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131:£300+ Million (Wiggle-CRC Group)
654:Mark Sutton (27 October 2023).
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564:Daly, Gavin (23 October 2016).
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349:Will Jones (21 February 2024).
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111:, components and accessories.
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688:Cycling in the United Kingdom
301:Tom Davidson (7 March 2024).
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540:"Brand-X Road Bike review"
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170:is an online brand of the
566:"CRC riding high at €82m"
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151:c.900 (Wiggle-CRC Group)
160:chainreactioncycles.com
662:. cyclingelectric.com
201:Chain Reaction Cycles
185:. A 2016 merger with
168:Chain Reaction Cycles
140:Bridgepoint Advisors
37:Online sports retail
487:Cunningham, Simon.
311:. cyclingweekly.com
147:Number of employees
115:shoes and apparel.
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426:on 22 August 2016
382:Belfast Telegraph
359:. Cyclingnews.com
334:Belfast Telegraph
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183:Northern Ireland
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19:Wiggle-CRC Group
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466:14 October 2014
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462:By Symon Ross
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308:Cycling Weekly
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520:. 1 July 2016
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275:Frasers Group
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252:Wiggle merger
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664:. Retrieved
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428:. Retrieved
424:the original
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361:. Retrieved
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313:. Retrieved
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279:Evans Cycles
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81:Will Kernan
42:Headquarters
24:Company type
15:
464:BBC News NI
449:Irish Times
226:domain name
107:equipment.
65:Area served
682:Categories
430:9 November
285:References
277:alongside
258:Wiggle Ltd
214:Ballyclare
191:Portsmouth
187:Wiggle Ltd
77:Key people
47:Portsmouth
578:0956-1382
544:BikeRadar
207:Ballynure
105:Triathlon
70:Worldwide
666:20 April
549:1 August
363:20 April
315:20 April
117:Swimming
109:Bicycles
101:Products
93:Chairman
34:Industry
639:9 April
634:road.cc
611:9 April
606:road.cc
583:9 April
498:9 April
195:England
179:Belfast
156:Website
128:Revenue
113:Running
53:England
28:Private
576:
524:6 June
237:Wiggle
404:8 May
136:Owner
121:Tools
668:2024
641:2018
613:2018
585:2018
574:ISSN
551:2022
526:2017
500:2018
432:2012
406:2020
365:2024
317:2024
123:etc.
518:MBR
85:CEO
684::
658:.
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621:^
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341:^
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57:UK
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