Davey left the business in October without a job to go to. His departure was the result of a restructure sparked by Raleigh's decision to shift bicycle assembly from Nottingham to the Far East.
Marketing will now be part of a department that also encompasses sales, design and product sourcing. Mike Reynolds, formerly product sourcing director, will head it as director of sales, marketing and product.
Managing director Philip Darnton denied the move signalled a lesser commitment to marketing, claiming that at £500,000, this year's spend has not changed since Davey held the reins. But, as before, most of this would be directed at the trade rather than consumers.
"The whole industry is far too strapped for cash to advertise," Darnton said.
The UK bicycle market has been flat in terms of volume sales for the past five years, but price pressure has meant the market has declined in value terms.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
