Raleigh confirms redundancies and Nottingham headquarters move in “very difficult decision”

The expected job cuts and restructuring process at Raleigh’s headquarters in Nottingham have been confirmed by the iconic British bike manufacturer’s parent company, while the firm’s parts and accessories business is set to close and responsibility for warehousing and logistics transferred to a third party.

The redundancies were first touted in November, when Raleigh’s Netherlands-based parent company Accell launched a formal employee consultation on restructuring proposals, following a detailed review of the business which, Accell said, would “better position our operations for sustainable growth”.

Following the consultation, Accell has this week confirmed the proposed job losses at Raleigh’s head office in Eastwood, the brand’s headquarters since the early 2000s, with the company expected to vacate the site in “due course”, the BBC reports.

The company also said Raleigh’s parts and accessories department will close and that warehousing will be outsourced.

While Accell refused to reveal how many of the roughly 100 employees at Eastwood have lost their jobs, it said the brand’s headquarters would remain “in the Nottingham area”.

It appears that no decision has yet been made concerning the future of Raleigh’s Nottingham city-centre ‘experience’ exhibition and retail hub, which opened in late 2022.

> Raleigh to open experience centre in Nottingham showcasing past, present and future of iconic brand

“Following the launch of a business review and employee consultation, our proposed changes to Accell’s UK operations have been confirmed and will be implemented,” Accell said in a statement.

“These changes will better integrate Accell UK into the wider Group business and position our UK operations for sustainable growth while retaining our HQ in the Nottingham area.

“This has been a very difficult decision and we are supporting those impacted by the changes, while maintaining our service to our bike shop partners and customers.”

Founded in the 1880s, and at one point operating the largest bicycle factory in the world and employing 13,000 people across the UK, Raleigh moved from its Triumph Road factory in Lenton to its current facility in Eastwood.

However, that base was described in recent years by Accell as “outdated and inflexible” in the face of changing customer needs, while Raleigh ceased assembling bikes in the UK over 20 years ago.

> Orange Bikes set to appoint administrator – weeks after folding racing team citing bike industry “uncertainty”

The confirmation of redundancies at Raleigh comes in the same weekend that another renowned British bike brand, Orange, issued a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.

The filing appeared just weeks after the popular Halifax-based off-road specialist announced that it was winding down its Orange Factory Racing outfit due to prohibitive costs and the current “uncertainty” swirling around the bike industry.