Customers left out of pocket after bike shop suddenly closes down

Customers have been left out of pocket after a popular independent bike shop in the south of England ceased trading.

Primera Sports, a family-run business in Bournemouth, closed suddenly last week after 34 years, with customers told their orders would not be fulfilled.

When Cycling Weekly contacted Primera for comment, it received an automatic response saying the company has instructed insolvency firm Leonard Curtis. A spokesperson for the firm confirmed to Cycling Weekly that Primera is entering into liquidation.

“The directors have taken the difficult decision to cease trading following a period of increasing financial pressure,” said Leonard Curtis director Nicola Layland in a statement.

“We are aware that some customers will have paid deposits for bikes, however because the company has ceased to trade and is entering into liquidation, those orders cannot be fulfilled. Unfortunately, the company is not in a position to issue a refund to these customers, which I appreciate will be particularly unwelcome news.

“We’d advise those customers who paid deposits via credit card to please contact their card provider in the first instance. Credit card protection provisions allow customers to obtain a refund where a retailer fails to deliver goods. All other customers will be contacted shortly as we get the liquidation process underway.”

Primera’s store on Charminster Road has been shuttered now for around a week. The company’s phone line, website and social media accounts have also been shut down.

A notice in the window of the neighbouring E-Performance shop, an e-bike business also owned and operated by Primera Sports Limited, reads: “Please note Primera Sports have ceased trading.”

A previous notice, photographed by the Bournemouth Daily Echo, read: “If you have paid a deposit for a bike, apologies we are unable to supply the bike, please contact your payment provider.”

Over the weekend, there were reports on social media that a number of customer bikes, which had been taken in for maintenance, were trapped inside the closed Primera store.

A spokesperson for Primera told Cycling Weekly on Wednesday: “All bikes are back with the customers, we still have one for a customer who is on holiday abroad, one more we are waiting for him to call back with a convenient time for delivery.

“There was one man who is doing a charity ride, we delivered his bike to him first thing Saturday.”

Professional mountain biker Ben Moore launched a campaign on Facebook and Instagram over the weekend to try and help customers recover the bikes. Speaking to Cycling Weekly, he said he had heard “horror stories” of people losing their deposits on orders with Primera.

“The most monetary value one that I’ve heard so far was a guy who went in and paid outright for two e-bikes for him and his wife, and obviously it’s gone. No e-bikes, but the money’s gone. It’s a bit of a rubbish situation for everyone,” Moore said.

Moore said he had also heard from an 11-year-old boy who paid over £600 for a bike and was told it would no longer be supplied. The owner of the Giant store in Poole eventually stepped in to help with a replacement.

“I bought many bikes from [Primera], so I know the business,” said Moore, who grew up locally. “I feel for the owners because they’ve lost their family business that’s been going on for a long time, and the staff that have gone with it as well. It’s an awful situation.”

Primera opened in Bournemouth in 1992, and was run by the Temple family. The company’s second store in Poole and its E-Performance e-bike store, which opened in 2007 and 2023 respectively, have also closed.

Insolvency firm Leonard Curtis said in its statement that Primera had been affected by “increasing operating costs and growing competition from online and lower-cost cycle repair businesses. Wider cost of living pressures have also reduced consumer spending on non-essential goods.”

If you have been affected by Primera’s closure, you can contact us at cycling@futurenet.com. Creditor queries should be directed to Leonard Curtis at creditors.south@leonardcurtis.co.uk.