Halfords pitches for camping market

HALFORDS, the car and bike accessories business soon to be demerged from Boots, is to move into the camping and caravanning market. The retailer, which has 402 stores and 9,000 employees, is to launch itself into the active leisure market with three stores next year. The locations have yet to be decided.

Halfords managing director Rob Scribbins admitted that the new leisure stores could be competing with leading outdoor equipment retailers such as Blacks.

'We'll be looking at the whole of the outdoors market as it obviously has links with what we already offer,' he said. 'If it's successful, we'll look at rolling it out across the rest of our stores.

'However, it's going to be more along the line of tents and camping gear. We're not going to be selling parascending equipment.' About 10m people go camping and caravanning in Britain each year.

Meanwhile, Halfords, valued at about £400m, has decided to axe its chain of 12 motorway stores. Scribbins said: 'The current view is that when the leases expire in 2004 or 2005, it's an appropriate time to exit from that business. It is breaking even, but it isn't generating revenues, which isn't brilliant. People haven't been going to the motorway stores - they simply want a quick stop and then go on their way.'

Boots announced in April that it was to demerge Halfords, but it is also understood to be looking at the possibility of a trade sale. One interested party is thought to be Midlands rival Motor World.