Halfords Group plc is a retailer of
car parts, car enhancement, camping, touring and bicycles operating in the UK
and Ireland. The Halfords
brand was established in 1902. This only has historical ties to the British Halfords
Group.
Halfords
operates from more than 460 retail stores throughout the UK and ROI and through
Halfords.com for pick-up at their local store or direct home delivery, opened
its 200th store in 1931 and purchased the Birmingham Bicycle Company in 1945. The
company was acquired by Ward White Group in 1983 and subsequently acquired by
the Boots Group in 1991. In 2007, Halfords opened its first shop in Central
Europe, in a village near Prague. The Czech locations were sold to the Austrian
company Fastbox.
As of January 2013, there are over 250 Halfords Autocentre garages dealing
with MOTs, car repairs and servicing. In 2014 Halfords acquired the British
bicycle manufacturer Boardman Bikes Ltd. for undisclosed sum.
Today, Halfords has two business units: Halfords Retail
and Halfords Autocentres. Halfords
Autocentres operates from over 300 sites nationally, employs c.2,000
colleagues and offers motorists dealership quality MOTs, repairs and car
servicing at affordable prices.
In 2007 Halfords sponsored the Team Dynamics BTCC racing
team under the name of Team Halfords
and in 2008 Halfords started sponsoring a mixed professional bike team, Team
Halfords Bikehut, headed by Nicole Cooke, which dispanded ahead of the 2010
season. Halfords estimates
has a c.20 -25% share of the cycle market and a c.15% share of the Cycling
Parts, Accessories and Clothing market. Apollo,
one of Halfords' own brand of cycles, is the most popular brand of bikes in
Britain.