Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

99p store – buy a London bike shop for less than a quid

Ever fancied setting up shop on your own? Now’s your chance as Holloway Cycles gets listed on eBay

If you’ve ever wanted to get into the cycling retail business, this could be your chance – a local bike shop in North London is being sold on eBay for the princely sum of 99p.

The store in question is Holloway Cycles in the London Borough of Islington, just around the corner from Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium.

After a planned sale of the business fell through, its owners have listed it on the auction site.

The listing will run for the next four weeks and any purchaser would have to meet rent of £22,000 and rates of £6,000 a year, as well as legal fees relating to the sale.

In the description on eBay, the owners say:

We have run this shop for over 7 years now and have been trying to sell it with no luck and after many time wasters we have decided to close the doors.

The shop is still intact and has slat wall on most areas, a workshop area, store room and a basement, so you could just move in.

There is no stock, tools or any equipment in this sale.

We would not be providing any accounts for the business as we are not asking for any premium for the lease or the business.

Rent per year 22k, rates 6k.

This would be a great chance for someone new to the industry or a second location to get started as customers know the shop and it will be busy once the season kicks in again in March.

We would also be happy to do short term lease or other business ideas in the unit, of course with the landlord's permission.

The only cost would be all legal fees

Thanks for looking
Email all questions to
Paul [at] hatfieldcycles.com

Last week, in a Facebook post, Holloway Cycles said:

Dear all Customers,

It is with deep regret that Holloway Cycles is no longer open, we were in the middle of negotiations to sell the business but the deal unfortunately did not go through, resulting in us being forced to close the shop

The staff have all moved on to other jobs within the industry and we wish them all the best for the future.

I would like to thank all of our customers for the support you have given us over the years that we were on Holloway Road.

Keep spinning on two wheels!

The shop is up for rent now and may still be taken over by another owner interested in keeping it as a cycle shop.

Regards

Holloway Cycles Team

Obviously, any prospective purchaser should carry out their own due diligence.

For what it’s worth, the business is located a short distance from the University of North London, but there is a branch of the chain Cycle Surgery further down Holloway Road towards Highbury & Islington station.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

8 comments

Avatar
dafyddp | 9 years ago
0 likes

£22k isn't that high for a shop - especially in London but frankly thats just the tip of the iceberg. Interesting article about open ing bike shop here http://net.workspace.co.uk/social/resources/how-to-open-a-bike-shop/

Avatar
Gkam84 | 9 years ago
0 likes

The how to make a million from a bike shop, start with two is total bullshit these days.

There are ways to make plenty of money in the industry, but with those kind of overheads, you are giving yourself a hole to dig yourself out of before you even begin.

If you were going to start a bike shop, you don't go for one that can't continue running while looking for a buyer.

Plus you can't just waltz into an area that has well established shops.

Avatar
crikey | 9 years ago
0 likes

Welcome to the real world...

But cyclists would rather save a quid by ordering on-line or mail-order than support a LBS, and it's been like that for at least 30 years.

How to make a small fortune?

Use a large one to buy a bike shop.

Avatar
Gkam84 | 9 years ago
0 likes

So £28k a year, plus the legal fees to take it over, so you are talking about an outlay of £30k in the first year. That is before you purchase stock, maybe a member of staff...etc

You are looking towards the £100k mark with a wage for yourself.

I don't know what typical rents are in that area, but £22k a year is extortion to me

Avatar
notinabox | 9 years ago
0 likes

And CS down the road.  2 Fantastic customer service can compete but only if enough profit after OHs. Definitely a huge challenge.

Avatar
Cycleholic | 9 years ago
0 likes

£28,000 in overheads per year!! That's an awful lot of bikes and accessories to be sold before you even break even. :((

Avatar
badback | 9 years ago
0 likes

Sad to see any business close. Made me chuckle how there's a best offer option and a 14 day return policy on the listing.

Avatar
bikebot replied to badback | 9 years ago
0 likes
badback wrote:

Sad to see any business close. Made me chuckle how there's a best offer option and a 14 day return policy on the listing.

It also has free delivery, I wonder if it packs down flat.

Latest Comments