All Terrain Cycles hit £1m investment after TDF success

All Terrain Cycles, Yorkshire’s longest established cycle retailer, has invested £1m into the expansion of two stores in Wetherby and Salts Mill.

The investment aims to grow the display stock of the cycle retailer’s stores to more than 1,000 bikes and offer new showroom displays.

The family owned retailer, which is one of the UK’s largest independent cycle retailers, currently employs 26 staff in Yorkshire. Founded in 1907, the £4m turnover business is based at a 9,000 sq ft Salts Mill store where it also has a 12,000 sq ft warehouse.

Last June, the retailer opened a second megastore showroomat Audby Lane in Wetherby.

Currently run by Tony Booth and his family - including daughter Natasha, who leads the firm’s purchasing and customer service functions, All Terrain Cycles was originally established as Riley Brothers Cycles in Crosshills until the move to Salts Mill in 2007. The retailer was acquired from the Riley family by Mr Booth in 1996 and has grown from a turnover of £45,000 in 1995.

As well as selling a range of leading brands, including Cannondale and Trek, the two stores stock over 1,000 mountain, road, BMX bikes and clothing and accessories. Both locations also include workshops staffed by trained technicians able to provide repairs and servicing, as well as a place to prep the bikes for the showroom and delivery.

Tony Booth, managing director of All Terrain Cycles, said: “The resurgence of cycling nationally and the legacy of the TDF in the region are very real for us and we have been investing to build on our position here in the UK’s new home of cycling.

“The sector is hugely competitive, both online and in our physical stores, and we been investing heavily to reinforce our position as the retailer with the widest choice of bikes in store and the most ‘ready to ride’ stock in the North.”

Natasha, Mr Booth’s daughter, added: “Customers have told us that what they really want, apart from great customer service, is to be able to sit on a bike, touch it and test it. In 2015 we will see an even higher proportion of our customers able to walk away from the store with the bike of their choice as a result of the half a million pounds of investment in extra stock on the shop floor.

“The investment has given our Salts Mill superstore a dedicated area displaying a huge range of ladies kit, a revised store layout and a lot more bikes for 2015. We have steadily built the stock levels and displays at Wetherby following a great first three quarters since we opened last summer, and we have tried hard to replicate the success of our Saltaire unit by offering customers the same benefits of friendly, knowledgeable staff and a state-of-the-art bike fitting facility as well as the market leading choice of display bikes.”