Anyone picked up on the sudden closure of the many bike and car dealerships run by The Completely chain?

My local branch (Abergele N Wales) has closed it's doors and all the yard and storage areas have been cleared out.

Rumour has it they are trying to get a receiver involved but no definitive word yet.

As I understand it M/C sales have taken a bashing this year and some pretty big brands are having to reign in the costs. 

I see now they're blaming poor summer sales figures but if so they must have been operating on the ragged edge for a collapse like that I would have thought.

I've just read an administrator has been appointed and they're hoping to salvage some of the outlets.

For the sake of the employees and biking in general I hope that happens but given the economic outlook and an ageing customer base things don't look very promising future wise.  

My now closed local shop ( ex Woods of Abergele) was one of the countries leading Ducati and Triumph outlets but I think it was taking on a Chinese brand that was keeping them afloat until now.

Like the seventies Japanese takeover revisited perhaps?

I never actually bought a bike from them but I've known the owner Andrew Wood for many years even before he started that branch,so from that and knowing quite a few owners who did buy from him my impressions were overwhelmingly positive.

His staff were conscientious and customer satisfaction was THE priority, the tech's were very good and up to date with new models.

His attitude was ' you treat the customer how I'd want to be treated' and if he thought that fell short he wasn't above giving the staff member a very loud verbal (abusive actually) bollocking in the middle of the crowded showroom.

 My mates Tricoloure came from there,as did his several bikes prior.

They were just a main dealer though,no mods,engine or suspension tuning done there.

Andrew sold out to Completely a year or two? back although he's still active in the council and elsewhere in the local community,I wonder if he'll be tempted to step back in?  

I'm betting not as I reckon he was clever enough to see the writing on the wall

I purchased a jacket from Thunder road in August. Their whole clothing dept was hugely discounted and clearly being run down stock wise. I said to my wife as we left that it looked like a company on the edge.