Macintosh Retail Group is said to have selected three bidders,...

Macintosh Retail Group is said to have selected three bidders, including two private equity funds and the Dutch Bicycle Group, as candidates for the takeover of its Halfords operation, which includes the distribution of some 120,000 bicycles annually through the group's own 143 stores in the Netherlands and seven in Belgium. According to a report in Bike Europe, the Dutch Halfords, which is separate from the British company by the same name, had an operating profit of €1 million in 2010 on sales of €105 million. The Dutch Bicycle Group is estimated to be selling between 200,000 and 250,000 bikes annually under the Union brand and various private labels.