Over 80 jobs have been saved across the country after electric mobility retailer Pure Electric took over 11 of Halfords' Cycle Republic stores that had been earmarked for closure.
The firm, which was previously known as Pure Scooters, made the announcement today as part of its "rapid retail expansion plans" for this year.
The move, which includes stores in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Gateshead, Derby and Nottingham, means 85 jobs have been retained, with their employment transferred to Pure Electric.
Halfords announced in March that it was planning to close its estate of Cycle Republic stores and Boardman Performance Centre in Worcestershire, placing 226 jobs under threat.
Pure Electric said the announcement bucks a high street trend of closures and marks "the beginning of a transport revolution".
The 11 Pure Electric branded stores, which will sell electric scooters, bikes and accessories, are due to open by early summer 2020, subject to government lockdown restrictions.
Peter Kimberley, Pure Electric's international managing director, said: “I know these fantastic high street sites well and I’m looking forward to bringing the Pure Electric brand from online to major cities across the UK, opening up new personal services including test rides to commuters and everybody who is interested in changing the way they move.
"It’s an incredibly exciting time for the world of e-bikes, e-scooters and mobility solutions. Personally, I’m really delighted to be able to bring along some great colleagues from Cycle Republic into the Pure Electric family. We can’t wait to open our doors and start serving the needs of customers across the UK.”
The firm was launched 14 months ago by entrepreneur and former Hargreaves Lansdown director, Adam Norris, aimed at making "a real, meaningful positive impact on the way we all travel every day".
Other stores saved by the move are in Norwich, Edinburgh, Southampton and Glasgow.
The firm has also recently launched a petition calling on the government to "bring the UK up to speed on electric scooters".
At present, they are only allowed to be ridden on private roads with the landowner's permission, despite being legal in most other countries.
Adam Norris, founder of Pure Electric, said: “The world of mobility is moving incredibly fast and we’re absolutely committed to being at the forefront of this exciting sector by opening prime city-centre locations.
"Our products have the potential to have a huge positive impact on our transport system. Recently, we’ve seen the role that e-scooters and bicycles have had in providing transport to key workers across the UK, helping them avoid public transport where risk of transmission is much higher.
“Our new stores show our vision and the market potential to not only transform the way people move, but the way people try and buy e-scooters and e-bikes.
"We can’t wait to serve customers a bigger range and offer free e-bike test rides. Every store will have a fully equipped workshop for servicing and repairs providing a first class service for commuters.
"We’re delighted that in the process of our expansion, we’ve been able to secure 85 colleague jobs from Halfords plc, and look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the Pure Electric team."
