What Compass 24 does

Compass 24 (legal entity: Compass Yachtzubehör Handels GmbH & Co. KG) is a German family-owned specialty e-commerce retailer founded in 1979 and headquartered in Ascheberg, Germany. The company operates what it describes as Europe's largest online shop for boat accessories, water sports equipment, sailing apparel, and yacht accessories, distributing a catalog of more than 42,000 articles across 16+ categories including safety and rescue equipment, marine electronics and navigation, deck hardware, electrical and sanitary systems, outboard motors, comfort and onboard living, sailing clothing, footwear, leisure fashion, and nautical literature. In addition to multi-brand resale (Garmin, Raymarine, Lowrance/Simrad/B&G, Musto, Helly Hansen, Gill, Henri Lloyd, Zhik, Marinepool, Dometic, Hempel, International, Seajet, Navionics, C-Map), Compass24 sells an own-brand Compass range covering life vests, absorber refrigerators, spirit cookers, binoculars, boat sun shades, and antifouling paints.

The commercial model is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (compass24.de) available 24/7, supplemented by a physical Maritim-Shop showroom in Ascheberg and worldwide shipping through DHL, DPD, UPS, Schenker/Kuehne+Nagel, and DHL Packstation. Revenue is generated entirely through transactional per-order product sales in EUR with no subscription tiers; payment options include PayPal, Visa, Klarna, direct debit, invoice purchasing, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, alongside a 30-day return policy and periodic 'Preisoffensive' promotional campaigns covering over 10,000 products. Customer engagement is supported through email and WhatsApp newsletters, a Ratgeber expert content library, a 400+ page printed catalog, live video technical consultation, customer reviews and ratings, a referral program ('Freunde werben'), and social channels on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. A secondary B2B/wholesale segment serves sailing schools, yacht clubs, and event organizers with bulk ordering.

The company is privately held with no external PE/VC backing and no public ticker. Managing Directors are Antje Dehler, Michael Dehler, and Oliver Lenz, and Thomas Feldmeier leads the customer service function. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no public API or developer platform, no disclosed patents, awards, or certifications, and no disclosed funding rounds or M&A activity. The technology footprint is a standard e-commerce platform with integrated catalog, search, wishlist, account management, and ordering features. A knowledge partnership with Blauwasser.de (Compass Infothek) extends the company's reach into blue-water sailing content.

Name

Compass 24

Legal name

Compass Yachtzubehör Handels GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://compass24.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Compass 24 is a German family-owned e-commerce retailer founded in 1979, selling over 42,000 marine, water sports, sailing apparel, and yacht accessory products to individual sailors, motorboat owners, and wholesale B2B buyers across Europe and worldwide via compass24.de and a physical showroom in Ascheberg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Equipment E-commerce Retail

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Rigging Retail (Sailboats, Sails, Hardware) (CRAMAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Safety & Navigation Electronics Retail (PFDs, EPIRBs, GPS, VHF) (CRAMAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine equipment retail
• Boat accessories online
• Sailing apparel shop
• Yacht supplies retailer
• Watersport equipment store

Headquarters

HQ city

Ascheberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product sales (e-commerce): Revenue is generated entirely through direct product sales via the compass24.de e-commerce platform. Customers purchase boats, water sports equipment, sailing apparel, and marine accessories at listed prices. The company does not appear to use a subscription or recurring revenue model; revenue is transactional per order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Compass24 is a family-owned e-commerce retailer of marine and watersport equipment, selling over 42,000 articles including safety gear, navigation electronics, outboard motors, deck hardware, marine electrical and sanitary systems, sailing apparel, and boat accessories through its compass24.de online storefront and Maritim-Shop physical showroom in Ascheberg, Germany. The business serves primarily individual sailors, motorboaters, and watersports enthusiasts in Europe, with a secondary channel for commercial/wholesale buyers and global shipping capability.

Product overview

Compass 24 is a B2C e-commerce retail platform offering over 42,000 maritime products across multiple categories. The portfolio includes own-brand marine equipment (life vests, refrigeration, cookers, deck hardware) alongside third-party branded products from manufacturers like Garmin (electronics, chart plotters), Raymarine, Lowrance, Simrad (navigation), Musto, Helly Hansen, Gill (sailing apparel), Dometic (refrigeration, climate), and many others. The platform operates as a general retailer with physical stores in Ascheberg, Germany, and provides services including product customization (embroidery/printing), maintenance services for life vests and life rafts, a printed catalog, and live video consulting. The online shop enables 24/7 purchasing with various payment methods and international shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Compass (own brand): The company sells its own Compass-branded products including life jackets (rettungswesten), spirit cookers, binoculars, absorber refrigerators, sun shades for boats, and various marine equipment and accessories.

Products and services

• Compass Own-Brand Marine Products Compass-branded portfolio including life vests (Professional, Compact II, Comfort, Aero 3D), navigation equipment (binoculars, compasses), absorber refrigerators, spirit cookers, boat sun shades, flexible seating, and own-brand antifouling paints, sold through the compass24.de storefront and physical showroom.
• Maritim-Shop Physical Retail Showroom Physical retail showroom located at Lüdinghauser Str. 34 in Ascheberg, Germany, where customers can view and purchase marine equipment and sailing apparel in person, with products brought from the warehouse on demand for items not on display.
• Technical Customer Consultation Service In-house technical advisory service for product selection, available through live video consultation with product experts and telephone, supporting purchase decisions across safety-critical and technically complex marine equipment.
• B2B / Wholesale Bulk Order Service Dedicated wholesale enquiry channel for sailing schools, yacht clubs, event organizers, and other commercial buyers to procure marine equipment, safety gear, and team uniforms in volume, with individual pricing handled on a per-enquiry basis.
• Safety Equipment Maintenance Service Certified maintenance service for safety-critical products including life vests and life rafts, extending service beyond the point of sale to support re-certification and lifecycle upkeep of rescue equipment.
• Printed Compass24 Catalog (over 400 pages) Over-400-page printed catalog showcasing maritime apparel, functional clothing, boat equipment, technology, and accessories, available for free order or online browsing, supplementing the digital storefront with a tangible, browsable product reference for customers who prefer printed shopping.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Blauwasser.deminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompass24 has a content and knowledge partnership with Blauwasser.de (Compass Infothek), through which expert know-how for blue-water sailors is shared. This partnership provides Compass24 customers with access to expert maritime knowledge and informational content, enhancing the company's positioning as a comprehensive maritime resource beyond just a product retailer.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• A.W. Niemeyer: A.W. Niemeyer is a German retailer specializing in marine refrigeration and boat equipment. Overlaps with Compass24 in refrigeration, sanitary, and electrical categories but has a narrower catalog and a more specialized product focus.
• Whitworths: Whitworths is a UK-based nautical retailer serving leisure and commercial mariners with chandlery, safety, and apparel. Comparable in product mix and customer base to Compass24 but operating primarily in the UK market.

Emerging players

• Rooster: Rooster is a UK-based retailer and own-brand maker of sailing apparel and watersports equipment. Comparable to Compass24's apparel and own-brand strategy but focused primarily on clothing and dinghy sailing, with a smaller catalog and younger brand.

Direct peers

• Defender Industries: Defender is a long-standing U.S. mail-order and online retailer of marine supplies, safety equipment, and boat hardware. Direct peer to Compass24 given its catalog-driven heritage, technical advisory positioning, and broad assortment across safety, electronics, and deck hardware.
• West Marine: West Marine is the largest U.S. specialty retailer of boating supplies, apparel, and accessories with both online and physical store presence. Comparable to Compass24 in product breadth, omni-channel strategy, and customer base of recreational sailors and motorboat owners.
• Fisheries Supply: Fisheries Supply is a U.S. marine retailer with deep nautical catalog roots and a broad e-commerce offering. Comparable to Compass24 in its hybrid catalog-plus-online model, breadth of safety and navigation SKUs, and customer mix of recreational and commercial mariners.
• SVB (Spezialversand Bremen): SVB is a large German online and catalog retailer of marine equipment, sailing gear, and boat accessories. It is the closest direct competitor to Compass24 in the DACH market with comparable catalog breadth, B2C e-commerce plus print catalog model, and similar price-positioned product assortment.
• Budget Marine: Budget Marine operates a chain of marine chandlery stores across the Caribbean and Europe with growing e-commerce. Direct peer to Compass24 in chandlery assortment (safety, electronics, deck hardware) and target customer of leisure and small-commercial boat owners.

Broad incumbents

• Garmin: Garmin is a leading manufacturer of marine GPS, chartplotters, fishfinders, and navigation electronics. Compass24 resells Garmin products; Garmin is both a key supplier and a competitor via its direct e-commerce channel for premium marine electronics.
• Decathlon: Decathlon is a global sporting goods retailer with growing watersports and sailing categories including own-brand apparel and equipment. It competes with Compass24 in entry-level sailing apparel, kayaks/SUPs, and adjacent outdoor categories at lower price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCui1xiRHtB85fb0_k16_3DA
• Facebookfacebook.com/compass24.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/compass_yachtzubehoer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Compass 24