- Service will be trialled for customers within the M25
- Regular service will cost £70
- Competition authorities due to give verdict on Chain Reaction Cycles deal in June
Sports etailer Wiggle is trialling a bike servicing and repair option to shoppers within the M25 as it looks to further diversify its business.
The scheme – called Wiggle Bike Service and Repair – will be available to customers on a trial basis for an unspecified period.
Bikes can be booked online then arranged to be collected and returned to the same or different address within three days.
A regular service costs £70, a deluxe £90 and a super deluxe service £150.
The move, in partnership with bike servicing firm Havebike, puts the retailer in competition with rivals Halfords and Evans, who both offer extensive servicing options.
Last year fast-growing Wiggle trialled concessions in Homebase offering bike services and repairs, but the pilot was cancelled by Homebase’s then management.
Wiggle chief executive Stefan Barden said the new service offers customers a “fast, convenient and easy way to get their bike serviced and repaired”.
He added: “We will learn from this pilot and continue to develop our online and service offerings as a result.”
It comes as Wiggle, owned by private equity group Bridgepoint, is in the midst of a deal to acquire online rival Chain Reaction Cycles. The deal is being scrutinised by the Competition and Markets Authority, which is due to give its verdict on the tie-up in June.
In its last full-year Wiggle reported a 16.7% jump in underlying earnings to £7m off the back of a 11.5% rise in sales to £179m.
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