Evans Cycles has invested in an 11,500 sq ft basement store in Leicester city centre.
Buoyed on by an increase in bike sales across the 海角视频 during lockdown, the national chain has relocated a store on the outskirts of the city to a unit under the Haymarket shopping centre.
The site was previously occupied by Sports Direct, which now has a much bigger shop around the corner. Both are part of Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group.
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It comes as national figures from the 海角视频 Bicycle Association suggest that between April and June bicycle sales were up 63 per cent year-on-year.
It also comes as Frasers announces plans for a new £15 million mega-store just outside Leicester at Fosse Park which will feature Sports Directs and Evans, as well as its upmarket Flannels brand.
In line with all Evans Cycles shops, safety measures have been introduced in the new store including limiting how many customers can enter at any given time, “2m zones” marked throughout the shop floor and fewer contact points during the payment process.
Customers also have to wear a face covering within the store.
Evans Cycles provided hundreds of free bike MOTs to key workers throughout the pandemic, which will continue at the new Leicester branch meaning key workers can have their tyres pumped up, brakes adjusted and access expert mechanical advice completely free of charge.
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Matthew Atkinson, head of retail at Evans Cycles, said: “It is fantastic to announce the opening of our brand new Leicester store, replacing the old site at Upperton Road.
“As a predominantly bricks and mortar business, we strongly value the importance of offering our customers a face-to-face experience with our expert mechanics and sales staff - giving them an insight simply not possible online.
“The team at Evans Cycles have worked hard to ensure that all of our stores are ‘COVID-compliant’, putting in place a number of measures to protect the safety of customers.
“With over 300 bikes stocked on-site, and access to some of the world’s best cycling brands, we look forward to helping Leicester’s growing number of cyclists Enjoy the Ride at our brand new City store.”
The store stocks more than 300 bikes as well as products from leading brands such as Trek, Specialised, Cannondale, Brompton, Pinnacle, Raleigh, Castelli, GORE, FOX, and Endura.
The store also has a fully equipped workshop and Shimano service centre - offering expert mechanical assistance and quick turnarounds with Evans Cycles’ new 24 hour servicing pledge.
Following the launch of the Government’s Fix Your Bike Scheme, customers will be able to use their free £50 voucher there to get their bicycle repaired and back on the road.