H. Young Holdings plc

What H. Young Holdings plc does

H. Young Holdings plc is a privately owned UK holding company that sources, markets and distributes consumer brands to the retail sector through two operating verticals: Sports & Leisure and Automotive Aftermarket. The group sells primarily to retailers — household-name accounts and thousands of independent retail businesses across the UK — while also operating own retail outlets and brand-specific e-commerce sites for direct-to-consumer sales.

The portfolio is organised around five trading divisions. Madison is positioned as UK and Ireland's largest distributor of cycle parts and accessories, carrying exclusive representation for globally recognised cycle brands. Sportline owns, designs, engineers and manufactures four bicycle brands: Ridgeback, Genesis, Saracen and Adventure. Leeda distributes fishing tackle, owning the Wychwood, MAP and Leeda brands and carrying market-leading third-party brands such as Mustad, MEPPS and Maxima. Rohan is an outdoor and travel clothing brand founded in 1972 and acquired by the group in 2016. Saxon is a specialist distribution management company representing major automotive brands in the UK Retail Automotive Aftermarket.

The group is privately held with a single ultimate shareholder actively involved in management, organised under H. Young (Operations) Limited (primary trading subsidiary) and parented by Lakefield Holdings Limited. It reports over 600 employees and annual sales in excess of £200m, concentrated in the South of England with Madison extending into Ireland. Technology is operational rather than productised: warehouse and distribution infrastructure for Madison is described as state-of-the-art, but no proprietary software platform, AI capability or external technology product is disclosed.

Name

H. Young Holdings plc

Legal name

H. Young Holdings PLC

Website

https://hyoung.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

H. Young Holdings plc is a privately owned UK group that sources, markets and distributes consumer brands to retailers across Sports & Leisure (cycling, fishing, outdoor clothing) and Automotive Aftermarket, through wholly owned divisions Madison, Sportline, Leeda, Rohan and Saxon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Brand Distribution: The group sources, markets and distributes brands to the retail sector. They own many of their own brands and distribute others on an exclusive basis for overseas principals. Revenue is generated through the margin between sourcing costs and sales to retailers and consumers.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

H. Young Holdings plc sources, markets and distributes brands to the retail sector, operating across sports and leisure (cycling, fishing tackle, outdoor clothing) and automotive aftermarket categories. The group owns many of its brands and distributes others on an exclusive basis for overseas principals, delivering complete sales, marketing, warehousing and distribution solutions to household-name retailers, thousands of independent UK retail businesses and direct consumers.

Product overview

H. Young Holdings plc is a privately owned business that sources, markets and distributes brands to the retail sector. The company operates in two sectors: Sports and leisure, and Automotive aftermarket. The product portfolio consists of multiple autonomous business divisions: Madison (cycle parts and outdoor accessories distribution), Leeda (fishing tackle distribution with owned brands Wychwood and MAP), Sportline (bicycle design and manufacturing owning Ridgeback, Genesis, Saracen, and Adventure brands), and Rohan (outdoor clothing brand founded in 1972). Saxon handles automotive aftermarket distribution. The group employs over 600 people with annual sales of over £200m, supplying household names and thousands of independent retail businesses across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Madison: UK and Ireland's largest distributor of cycle parts and accessories, also growing in active outdoor and lifestyle sales channels.
• Leeda
• Saxon
• Sportline
• Rohan

Products and services

• Madison — Cycle Parts and Accessories Distribution Distribution and supply of cycle parts and accessories to retailers across the UK and Ireland, also serving active outdoor and lifestyle sales channels. Operates a state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution operation and represents a portfolio of globally recognised brands. Customers: retail trade and brand principals.
• Leeda — Fishing Tackle Distribution Distribution of fishing tackle to retailers, owning the Wychwood, MAP and Leeda brands and distributing market-leading brands such as Mustad, MEPPS and Maxima. Based in Milton Keynes. Customers: specialist fishing tackle retailers.
• Saxon — Automotive Aftermarket Distribution Specialist distribution management representing major automotive brands in the UK Retail Automotive Aftermarket, providing complete sales and marketing solutions, customer service, warehousing and distribution. Customers: UK automotive aftermarket retailers.
• Sportline — Bicycle Brand Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Designs, engineers and manufactures four well-known bicycle brands — Ridgeback, Genesis, Saracen and Adventure — each with its own distinct market position and target audience. Customers: specialist cycle retailers and consumers.
• Rohan — Outdoor and Travel Clothing Brand Outdoor and travel clothing brand founded in 1972, originally focused on mountaineering apparel; operated as a separate subsidiary (Rohan Designs Limited) and acquired by H. Young Holdings plc on 2016-10-16. Customers: outdoor enthusiasts and travellers through own retail and wholesale channels.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Globally Recognised Cycle BrandscoreOthersMadison represents a highly enviable portfolio of world class brands in cycling, acting as UK and Ireland's largest distributor of cycle parts and accessories.
• Market-leading Fishing Brands (Mustad, MEPPS, Maxima)coreOthersLeeda distributes many market-leading brands such as Mustad, MEPPS and Maxima alongside their owned brands (Wychwood, MAP, Leeda).
• Major Automotive Brands (UK)coreOthersSaxon represents major automotive brands in the UK, providing complete sales and marketing solutions with customer service, warehousing and distribution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Shimano UK: UK arm of the global cycling components giant. Comparable to Madison as a major UK/IE distributor of premium cycle components with overlapping IBD customer base and brand portfolio.
• Evans Cycles: UK cycling retailer carrying cycle parts, accessories and bikes. Comparable to Madison's cycle distribution business and the group's broader cycling retail footprint, serving the same UK consumer and independent retailer base.
• Raleigh UK: Heritage UK bicycle manufacturer and distributor. Comparable to Sportline's owned-brand bicycle manufacturing model (Ridgeback, Genesis) and Madison's cycle distribution activity, with overlapping IBD channels and brand-led positioning.
• Pure Fishing: Global fishing tackle brand owner and distributor. Comparable to Leeda's fishing tackle distribution and owned-brand model (Wychwood, MAP, Leeda), serving overlapping tackle retail and OEM channels.
• Mountain Equipment: UK heritage outdoor clothing and equipment brand. Comparable to Rohan as a long-established British outdoor apparel brand competing for the same specialty retailer shelf space and D2C customer.
• Wiggle (Chain Reaction Cycles / Bike Republic): Online cycling distributor and retailer operating across UK and international markets. Comparable to Madison's cycle parts/accessories distribution and to Madison/Freewheel's e-commerce channel, with overlapping brand portfolio and consumer base.
• Halfords Group plc: UK-listed retailer of cycling products and automotive aftermarket parts and services. Closely comparable because it operates across the same two end-markets H. Young serves via Madison (cycling) and Saxon (automotive aftermarket), combining retail and distribution in a multi-brand model.
• Cotswold Outdoor: UK outdoor retailer stocking apparel, footwear and equipment from multiple brands. Comparable to Rohan's D2C/retail channel and to Madison's outdoor-lifestyle distribution pivot, with similar customer demographic.
• Craghoppers: British outdoor and travel clothing brand owned by Regatta. Comparable to Rohan as a competing UK heritage outdoor apparel brand sold through the same independent outdoor retailer channel.

Broad incumbents

• Decathlon UK: Global sporting goods retailer with UK stores covering cycling, fishing, outdoor apparel and automotive accessories. Comparable to H. Young's multi-category sport and leisure portfolio, but operates a vertically-integrated private-label model at greater scale rather than as a brand distributor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ukmadison
• Facebookfacebook.com/madison.co.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hyoung

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about H. Young Holdings plc