Blacks Outdoor

What Blacks Outdoor does

Blacks Outdoor is a UK-based specialist outdoor retailer operating an omnichannel business of 22 physical stores across England, Scotland, Wales, and Jersey alongside a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at blacks.co.uk. The company sells third-party branded outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment — including jackets, fleeces, walking boots, tents, sleeping bags, climbing gear, rucksacks, cooking equipment, GPS/watches, cycling, and watersports — curated from leading brands such as Berghaus, Rab, The North Face, Salomon, Scarpa, Vango, adidas Terrex, and Osprey, featuring performance technologies like GORE-TEX, DryVent, and Hydroshell. Blacks does not develop proprietary products or technology; its differentiation rests on brand heritage dating to 1861 (originally founded in Greenock, Scotland), curated multi-brand assortment, and in-store services such as boot fitting and rucksack fitting.

The business operates on a straightforward one-time-transaction retail model, generating revenue through individual product sales at listed prices, supplemented by seasonal promotions (sales up to 50%), a 15% first-order discount for newsletter subscribers, and a tiered delivery offering including free standard delivery on orders over £95, next-day delivery at £5.99, free click-and-collect, and specialist handling for large items such as bikes and tents. Its three primary customer segments are outdoor enthusiasts, family outdoor consumers, and running/fitness consumers, all served through the same horizontal segmentation approach. Blacks is wholly owned by JD Sports Fashion PLC (LSE: JD), a publicly listed UK sports and outdoor fashion conglomerate, and operates as a distinct brand within that diversified group.

Name

Blacks Outdoor

Legal name

Blacks

Website

https://blacks.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1861

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blacks Outdoor is a UK-based omnichannel outdoor retailer operating 22 physical stores and a blacks.co.uk e-commerce platform, selling third-party branded clothing, footwear, and equipment from leading outdoor brands to UK consumers across hiking, camping, cycling, and watersports activities. It is a subsidiary of JD Sports Fashion PLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Shoe Retailers (4582), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)

akta.pro primary industry

Camping, Hiking & Climbing Specialty Retail (CRAMABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing) (CRAMAMAK), Camping, Hiking & Backpacking Gear Retail (CRAMAMAA), Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAAAB), Outdoor Performance Footwear & Apparel Retail (Trail/Hike) (CRAMACAI), Outdoor, Hiking & Trail Footwear Retail (CRAAADAE)

Keywords

• Outdoor clothing retail
• Outdoor footwear
• Camping equipment
• Hiking gear
• Outdoor apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Bury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Blacks generates revenue through direct retail sales of outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment to consumers via their e-commerce website and 22 physical stores across the UK. The business operates on a one-time transaction model where customers purchase individual products at listed prices, with seasonal sales and promotional discounts throughout the year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blacks Outdoor is a specialist UK retailer selling outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment (including tents, camping gear, climbing equipment, rucksacks, GPS/watches, cycling, watersports, and fitness products) through its e-commerce site blacks.co.uk and 22 physical retail stores across the UK. The assortment is curated from leading outdoor brands such as Berghaus, Rab, The North Face, Salomon, Scarpa, Vango, adidas Terrex, and Osprey, with technologies like GORE-TEX, DryVent, and Hydroshell featured across the range.

Product overview

Blacks Outdoor is a UK-based outdoor retailer operating as an e-commerce platform with 22 physical stores across the UK, offering a curated range of outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment. The company's product portfolio centers on core categories including outdoor apparel (waterproof jackets, insulated down jackets, fleeces, baselayers, trousers, shorts, hoodies), outdoor footwear (walking boots, hiking shoes, trail running shoes, mountain boots), tents and camping equipment, climbing gear, rucksacks and bags, cooking equipment, watches and GPS navigation, cycling equipment, watersports gear, and health and fitness products. The company stocks thousands of products across these categories, partnering with leading outdoor brands including Berghaus, Rab, The North Face, Salomon, Scarpa, Vango, adidas Terrex, and Osprey. Products utilize performance technologies such as GORE-TEX, DryVent, and Hydroshell for waterproofing and weather protection. Blacks Outdoor positions itself as offering reliable gear that supports outdoor activities from weekend hikes to camping trips and bigger journeys, with a focus on dependable service and considered pricing throughout the year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Clothing Men's, women's, and kids' outdoor apparel including waterproof jackets, insulated down jackets, fleeces, baselayers, trousers, shorts, and hoodies designed for hiking, climbing, running, and camping activities.
• Outdoor Footwear Walking boots, walking shoes, mountain boots, approach shoes, running shoes, trail running shoes, sandals, wellingtons, and snow boots for men, women, and children.
• Tents and Camping Equipment Tents ranging from 1-person to 6+ person, family tents, inflatable tents, backpacking tents, festival tents, roof tents, blackout tents, and tipi tents along with tent accessories, camping furniture, sleeping bags, and sleeping mats.
• Climbing Equipment Complete climbing gear including harnesses, ropes, carabiners, quickdraws, nuts, rocks and cams, belay devices, ascenders and descenders, slings, chalk, helmets, crampons, ice axes, bouldering mats, and climbing shoes.
• Rucksacks and Bags Technical daysacks, backpacks, travel bags, holdalls, baby carriers, hydration packs, dry bags, money belts, and bag accessories in various sizes from 15L to 50L+.
• Cooking and Eating Equipment Camping cooking equipment including cooksets, kettles, pots, pans, utensils, bowls, camping stoves, tableware, camping food, picnic and cool boxes, and BBQs and grills.
• Watches and GPS Navigation GPS watches, handheld GPS devices, heart rate monitors, maps, compasses, walking and trekking poles, and torches and lighting including head torches and lanterns.
• Cycling Equipment Bikes including mountain bikes, road bikes, folding bikes, electric bikes, and kids' bikes along with cycling clothing, helmets, lights, locks, tools, and cycle computers.
• Watersports Equipment Paddleboards, boats, kayaks, PFDs, changing robes, swimwear, wetsuits, and watersports footwear.
• Health and Fitness Gym clothing, gym shoes, yoga clothing, sports nutrition and supplements including gels, electrolytes, and recovery and massage equipment.
• Outdoor Accessories Hats, caps, beanies, gloves, scarves, neck gaiters, socks, belts, sunglasses, and watches for men, women, and kids.
• GORE-TEX Waterproof Product Collection Products featuring GORE-TEX waterproof technology including jackets, trousers, and footwear known for durability and comfort in changing weather conditions.
• Sale Items Discounted outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment across men's, women's, and kids' categories with savings up to 50% on selected items.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/millets_online
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blacks-outdoor-retail-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Blacks Outdoor