Merchoid
Merchoid is a Birmingham-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2015 that sells officially licensed geek merchandise across anime, gaming, movies, TV, superheroes, and cartoon franchises, serving individual fandom enthusiasts and gift buyers through nine regional storefronts worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Merchoid does
Merchoid is a privately held direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2015 and headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom (registered as Merchoid Ltd, company number 09739902). The company specializes in officially licensed merchandise across a broad set of entertainment franchises spanning anime (e.g., One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen), movies and TV (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Marvel, Stranger Things), gaming (Warhammer 40,000, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Baldur's Gate 3), superheroes (Marvel, DC, Batman, Spider-Man), cartoons (Disney, Pixar, Nickelodeon), horror (Friday the 13th, IT), and retro (Doctor Who, Looney Tunes). Its product portfolio spans apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, nightwear), accessories (bags, hats), home and office goods, collectibles, gadgets, and the Loungefly sub-brand of mini backpacks, priced individually between approximately $25 and $150+.
The business operates on a unit-pricing, one-time-purchase model with no subscription tiers; affiliate program materials cite an average basket value of approximately $45. Merchoid operates nine localized storefronts (UK, EU, World, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands) with regional currencies and VAT-inclusive pricing for UK/EU orders, and offers free shipping to most destinations worldwide. Customer acquisition is anchored by a 10%-commission affiliate program run through ShareASale, supported by email marketing via Klaviyo, 3PL fulfillment through James and James Fulfilment, and website optimization via Optimizely, Hotjar, and FullStory. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Simon Ward, has 11-50 employees, and shows no evidence of external funding rounds, acquisitions, parent ownership, or mobile app or API presence.
Merchoid firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Merchoid
- Legal name
- Merchoid Ltd
- Website
- https://merchoid.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Merchoid is a Birmingham-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2015 that sells officially licensed geek merchandise across anime, gaming, movies, TV, superheroes, and cartoon franchises, serving individual fandom enthusiasts and gift buyers through nine regional storefronts worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Merchoid industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Licensed Geek Merchandise Retail
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pop Culture, Licensed & Fandom Gifts Retail (CRALAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail (CRALAFAI), Entertainment Memorabilia Retail (Film/TV/Music) (CRALAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Merchoid is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Merchoid business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Merchandise Sales: One-time purchase model for physical merchandise including apparel, accessories, collectibles, and home goods. Products feature licensed intellectual property from entertainment franchises. Average basket value approximately $45 according to affiliate program data.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard merchandise pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Merchoid product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Merchoid operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store that sells 100% officially licensed geek merchandise, including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, nightwear), accessories (bags, hats), home and office items, collectibles (figurines, limited editions, memorabilia), tech gadgets, and Loungefly mini backpacks. Products span franchises in anime, movies/TV, gaming, superheroes, cartoons, horror, and retro categories, and are sold through nine regional storefronts with local currencies and free shipping to most global destinations.
Product overview
Merchoid is an official geek merchandise e-commerce platform selling licensed products across multiple entertainment categories including Anime (One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Demon Slayer), Movies and TV (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Stranger Things), Gaming (Warhammer 40,000, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Baldur's Gate 3), Superheroes (Marvel, DC Comics, Batman, Spider-Man), Cartoons (Disney, Pixar, Nickelodeon), Horror (Friday the 13th, The Shining, IT), and Retro (Doctor Who, Looney Tunes, Sega). The product portfolio spans clothing categories (T-Shirts, Hoodies, Jackets, Nightwear), accessories (Bags, Hats), home and office items, collectibles, gadgets, and the Loungefly sub-brand of mini backpacks. Merchoid operates regional storefronts for UK, Europe, World, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, and Netherlands markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- T-Shirts and Clothing Official geek-themed t-shirts and clothing featuring designs from popular franchises including anime, gaming, movies, TV shows, and comics, sold to individual consumers.
- Hoodies and Sweatshirts Hoodies and sweatshirts featuring officially licensed designs from various geek franchises, sold through the Merchoid storefront.
- Accessories Geek-themed accessories including bags, hats, and other lifestyle items featuring popular franchise branding.
- Home and Office Home and office merchandise including desk accessories, decor, and functional items featuring geek franchise themes.
- Collectibles Collectible items including figurines, limited editions, and memorabilia from popular geek franchises, including exclusive and limited-edition pieces.
- Gadgets Tech gadgets and gizmos featuring officially licensed geek franchise designs.
- Loungefly Exclusive Loungefly branded mini backpacks and accessories featuring officially licensed pop culture designs.
Companies that use Merchoid
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Merchoid technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Merchoid partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.
- ShareASalecoreAffiliate program management platform handling tracking, reporting, and payouts for Merchoid's affiliate marketing program with 10% commission on sales.
- KlaviyosupportEmail marketing platform used for customer communications, newsletters, and promotional emails.
- James and James Fulfilment IncsupportThird-party logistics provider handling order fulfillment and shipping operations.
- GooglesupportTechnology partner for analytics, advertising, and data processing as part of data transfer outside EEA.
- FacebooksupportSocial media and advertising platform partner as part of data transfer outside EEA.
- OptimizelysupportA/B testing and experimentation platform for website optimization.
- Hotjar LtdsupportUser behavior analytics tool for understanding customer interactions on the website.
- FullStory IncsupportDigital experience analytics platform for recording and analyzing user sessions.
- Wrike IncsupportProject management and collaboration tool used internally for operations.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Merchoid competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BoxLunch: US-based specialty retailer of officially licensed pop culture merchandise (clothing, accessories, home, collectibles) from the same franchises Merchoid carries (Marvel, Star Wars, anime, gaming). Closest like-for-like competitor on product mix and target customer, though larger scale and US-centric.
- Hot Topic: US mall-based retailer of licensed pop culture and music merchandise including apparel, accessories, and collectibles — same fandom audience and IP portfolio as Merchoid (anime, Marvel, DC, gaming franchises). BoxLunch's parent, also a broader incumbent with physical retail reach.
- Zavvi: UK-based online retailer specializing in official entertainment merchandise, collectibles, and pop culture apparel. Direct competitor in the UK/Europe market with overlapping franchise portfolio (Marvel, DC, gaming, anime) and similar DTC e-commerce model.
- EMP Mail Order: Germany-headquartered specialist retailer of licensed rock, metal, gaming, and pop culture merchandise (clothing, accessories, collectibles). Comparable in franchise breadth, Europe-wide shipping model, and fandom-focused merchandising approach.
- Forbidden Planet: UK-based retailer of sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, comics, and pop culture merchandise including collectibles, apparel, and licensed products. Direct competitor in the UK geek merchandise market with comparable franchise portfolio and omnichannel (store + online) model.
- Entertainment Earth: US-based online retailer specializing in action figures, collectibles, and licensed pop culture merchandise from movies, TV, gaming, and anime. Directly comparable as a collectibles-heavy licensed-merch e-tailer serving the same fandom buyer.
- FYE (For Your Entertainment): US specialty retailer of pop culture merchandise including collectibles, apparel, accessories, and home goods tied to movies, TV, gaming, and anime franchises. Comparable merchandising categories and target customer (fandom enthusiasts and gift buyers).
Broad incumbents
- Amazon (Licensed Merch Marketplace): The dominant global e-commerce platform carrying officially licensed merchandise across every franchise Merchoid offers (Marvel, Star Wars, anime, gaming). While not a specialist, Amazon competes on selection, price, and Prime shipping speed, making it the principal broad-incumbent threat in this category.
- Disney Store (shopDisney): The franchise owner's direct-to-consumer store for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars merchandise. Represents the "brand-owner bypass" risk — when licensors vertically integrate, they can sideline third-party specialists like Merchoid on key franchises.
Others
- Loungefly (parent brand): Brand owner of the licensed mini-backpack and accessories line that Merchoid retails as a sub-brand. Comparable as the upstream brand powering one of Merchoid's signature product collections, and a potential supply-partner/cannibalization dynamic worth noting.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Merchoid social profiles
Digital presenceMerchoid financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Merchoid leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Merchoid funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Merchoid M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Merchoid
What does Merchoid do?
Merchoid operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store that sells 100% officially licensed geek merchandise, including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, nightwear), accessories (bags, hats), home and office items, collectibles (figurines, limited editions, memorabilia), tech gadgets, and Loungefly mini backpacks. Products span franchises in anime, movies/TV, gaming, superheroes, cartoons, horror, and retro categories, and are sold through nine regional storefronts with local currencies and free shipping to most global destinations.
Is Merchoid a public or private company?
Merchoid is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Merchoid founded?
Merchoid was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Merchoid based?
Merchoid is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Merchoid make money?
One revenue line is on record: merchandise Sales.
Who are Merchoid's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BoxLunch, Hot Topic, Zavvi, EMP Mail Order, Forbidden Planet, Entertainment Earth and FYE (For Your Entertainment). Broad incumbents are Amazon (Licensed Merch Marketplace) and Disney Store (shopDisney). Loungefly (parent brand) is listed as an others.
Does Merchoid have an API?
No public API is recorded for Merchoid.
What industry is Merchoid in?
Merchoid's product category is Licensed Geek Merchandise Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAJAK, Pop Culture, Licensed & Fandom Gifts Retail, with a secondary code of CRALAFAI, Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.