Kwik Fit has acquired bicycle servicing start-up Fettle in a move to “revolutionise the service experience in cycling” and support businesses using fleets of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.
The acquisition, financial details of which were not disclosed, transfers 100% ownership of Fettle to Kwik Fit. The Fettle management team will remain with the business, with Jeyda Heselton, who founded Fettle in 2019, continuing to lead the company and all current services and locations being maintained.
The move will see Fettle’s approach to cycle servicing fused with Kwik Fit’s resources, network and expertise in the automotive sector – signifying “a major step in reshaping the cycling landscape in the UK”.
The acquisition is said to be of key significance to the rapidly increasing number of firms using e-bikes and e-cargo bikes for ‘last-mile’ delivery and service solutions. Fettle and Kwik Fit will offer a “reliable” nationwide service network to support such businesses and their growing fleets, helping them accelerate their rollout plans.
Mark Slade, managing director of Kwik Fit, said: “In a world where mobility is changing rapidly, we are seeing many of our customers diversify their modes of travel, and businesses are broadening the make-up of their fleets, especially for ‘last-mile’ deliveries and services. Integrating Fettle into Kwik Fit centres embraces this shift and enables us to offer comprehensive mobility solutions under one roof with support for bicycles, e-bikes, and cargo bikes complementing our established automotive services.”
Jeyda Heselton, founder of Fettle, added: “We established Fettle with a clear mission: to revolutionise the service experience in the UK’s cycling industry. Joining the Kwik Fit organisation is a pivotal step in this journey, providing an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate expansion as we can now leverage Kwik Fit’s extensive network which is well located to service consumers, manufacturers and fleets.”
