Halfords

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.