Simply Bearing
Simply Bearings Ltd is a privately held UK online retailer based in Leigh, Lancashire, selling bearings, seals, belts, power-transmission components, and engineering spares through a single e-commerce storefront with 450,000+ listed SKUs to DIY consumers, trade accounts, and industrial buyers in the UK and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLeigh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Simply Bearing does
Simply Bearings Ltd is a privately held, UK-based online retailer of bearings, seals, power-transmission components, loose balls and rollers, hydraulic parts, tools, lubricants, and adjacent engineering spares, operating from Leigh, Lancashire under the registered trademark 'Simply®'. The company runs a single e-commerce storefront at simplybearings.co.uk that lists more than 450,000 SKUs and typically holds 20,000-35,000 items in stock, with proprietary search-by-size functionality and a deep technical content library covering ISO limits and fits, conversion tables, and the complete SKF catalogue. It holds ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, is an authorized distributor for major OEMs including SKF, NTN Europe, IKO, Gates, NKE, FAG, INA, Powerdrive, Weldtite, Enduro, Dunlop, and PIX, and carries approximately £500,000 of Gates belts in inventory. Simply Bearings claims to be the UK's number-one online bearings and seals supplier and reports a 5.0-star rating from 29,712 reviews on Reviews.io.
The business monetizes through direct online unit sales with volume-discount tiers (e.g., 10+, 19+, 29+, 99+ units), supplemented by trade/corporate credit accounts, and accepts payment via HSBC, PayPal, and major card networks. Distribution is digital-first and direct-to-customer: free UK delivery is offered on orders above £50, with same-day/next-day dispatch options, click-and-collect for local buyers, and international shipping with automated rate calculation to Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada across six currencies (GBP, EUR, USD, AUD, CAD, NZD). Customers are split across four documented segments — engineering and industrial (primary), automotive and transport, agriculture and specialized industries, and individual/DIY consumers — with no named anchor customers or enterprise contracts disclosed. Beyond the core storefront, the company operates the adjacent subsidiary Simply Garden Spares and has implemented a GDPR compliance programme initiated in January 2017 under Data Controller Steve Makin. No external funding, acquisitions, or ownership changes have been disclosed.
Simply Bearing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Simply Bearing
- Legal name
- Simply Bearings Ltd
- Website
- https://simplybearings.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Simply Bearings Ltd is a privately held UK online retailer based in Leigh, Lancashire, selling bearings, seals, belts, power-transmission components, and engineering spares through a single e-commerce storefront with 450,000+ listed SKUs to DIY consumers, trade accounts, and industrial buyers in the UK and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Simply Bearing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leigh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Simply Bearing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- E-commerce Retail Sales: Direct online sales of bearings, seals, belts, and engineering parts to both individual consumers and businesses. Revenue generated through product sales with volume-based pricing and bulk discounts available.
- Trade/Corporate Accounts: Credit accounts for trade customers enabling regular purchasing with potential for bulk discounts and streamlined procurement processes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard per-unit pricing with volume discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Simply Bearing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Simply Bearings is a UK-based online retailer of bearings, seals, balls, rollers, belts, pulleys and engineering parts. It operates an e-commerce platform with 450,000+ listed products and 20,000+ items in stock, serving both individual DIY consumers and industrial/trade customers.
Product overview
Simply Bearings is the UK's leading online supplier of bearings, seals, belts, and power transmission equipment, operating as a single e-commerce platform with over 450,000 listed products and 20,000+ items in stock. The product portfolio centers on core categories: Bearings (including ball bearings, roller bearings, needle roller bearings, taper roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, and specialty bearings for automotive and agricultural use); Sealing Products (oil seals, O-rings, V-ring seals, fork seals, and seal lubricants); Power Transmission (V-belts, timing belts, pulleys, tapered locking bushes, sprockets, and chains); Loose Balls and Rollers (steel balls in various grades, stainless steel balls, ceramic balls, and loose rollers); Hydraulic Parts and Tools (hoses, fittings, adaptors, and crimping machinery); Cycling Products (bike bearings, fork seals, maintenance supplies, and repair parts); Engineering Parts (circlips, retaining rings, Jubilee clips, speedi sleeves, castors, and general hardware); Tools (bearing heaters, pullers, fitting kits, and measuring instruments); Lubricants and Adhesives (greases, hydraulic oils, and engineer adhesives); and Garden Parts and Accessories (chainsaw chain, lawn mower parts, and outdoor equipment spares). The company holds ISO 9001:2015 accreditation and offers international delivery with free UK shipping on orders over £50.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bearings Comprehensive range of bearings including deep groove ball bearings, needle roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, taper roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, angular contact bearings, and specialized bearings for automotive, agricultural, and industrial applications.
- Sealing Products Oil seals, O-rings, V-ring seals, fork seals, Nilos rings, bonded seal washers, seal lubricants, and housed bearing seals for industrial, motorcycle, and general sealing needs.
- Power Transmission V-belts, timing belts, tapered locking bushes, pulleys, couplings, sprockets, platewheels, roller chains, belt tensioners, and key steels for industrial and automotive power transmission applications.
- Loose Balls & Rollers Hardened steel balls, stainless steel balls (AISI 316, 420, 440), chrome steel balls, ceramic and plastic balls, loose steel rollers, and brass ball bearings sold by the pack in metric and imperial sizes.
- Hydraulic Parts & Tools High pressure hydraulic hoses, hose clamps, hose fittings (ferrule, jetwash, one piece, two piece), hydraulic adaptors, quick release couplings, and portable hose crimping machinery.
- Cycling Products Bike bearings, mountain bike fork seals, cycle maintenance products, lubrication, cleaning supplies, tools, puncture repair, axles, bike spares, inner tubes, and accessories for bicycle repair and maintenance.
- Engineering Parts Circlips (external, internal, E-clips), retaining rings, Jubilee clips, tapered locking bushes, speedi sleeves, shaft collars, ball transfer units, castor wheels, nuts, screws, washers, grease fittings, gloves, anti-vibration mounts, gears, racks, chains, and general engineering spares.
- Tools Bearing heaters, fitting kits, hook spanners, sockets for lock nuts, circlip pliers, vernier calipers, grease guns, gear and bearing pullers, chain splitters, screw pitch gauges, and cycle tools for bearing installation and maintenance.
- Lubricants & Adhesives Bearing greases, hydraulic oils, agricultural oils, aerosols, O-ring and seal lubricants, Truloc bearing fit and retainer adhesives, sealing grade, shaft grade, stud grade and hydraulic sealants, and instant gasket and joint compounds.
- Garden Parts & Accessories Chainsaw chain, garden vacuum parts, lawn mower and lawn raker parts, hedge trimmer parts, grass strimmer parts, greenhouse maintenance items, oils, safety equipment, and garden belt pulleys and tensioners.
- Padlocks & Security Chains Heavy duty stainless steel padlocks with brass cylinders, security chains with nylon sleeves, suitable for trailers, motorbikes, gearboxes, garages, and equipment security.
- SKF High Pressure Pipes & Hoses SKF high pressure pipes (300mm length) and flexible high pressure hoses (500mm to 3000mm) designed for use with SKF hydraulic pumps and quick connect coupling systems.
- V Belt Pulleys V belt pulleys in SPA, SPB, SPC, SPZ, J, 3V, and Z section variants, manufactured from cast iron or aluminium, for industrial and automotive power transmission applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 29,712 reviews
Companies that use Simply Bearing
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Simply Bearing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Simply Bearing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SKFcoreSimply Bearings is an official distributor of SKF bearings and seals, offering the complete SKF general catalogue online with full design information and technical details.
- NTN EuropecoreOfficial distributor of NTN products with extensive stock availability and access to thousands of NTN Europe items through their inventory system.
- IKOcoreOfficial IKO distributor offering a massive range of IKO needle rollers covering most suspension and swingarm sizes, plus comprehensive IKO bearing products.
- GatescoreApproved Gates distributor carrying approximately £1/2 million worth of Gates belts from stock, including A Section, B Section, C Section, D Section, Z Section, AX Section, BX Section, and SPBX Sections.
- NKEcoreOfficial NKE distributor, offering NKE bearings as part of their comprehensive product range alongside other major brands.
- PIXminorApproved PIX distributor with belts in stock ready for same-day dispatch.
- HSBCminorHSBC Card Payment Services provides secure online transaction processing for customer purchases.
- PayPalminorPayPal payment option available for secure online transactions at checkout.
- WeldtiteminorOfficial distributor of Weldtite products.
- EndurominorOfficial distributor of Enduro products.
- DunlopminorApproved Dunlop V-belt distributor with belts available for same-day dispatch.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Simply Bearing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bearing King: UK-based online retailer of bearings, power transmission products and engineering consumables; competes head-to-head with Simply Bearings in the UK DIY, automotive and light-industrial segments.
- Bearingboys: Specialist UK online bearings retailer focused on cycle, automotive and industrial bearings; overlaps with Simply Bearings on DIY/automotive and small-industrial buyers.
- 123bearing.com: European online bearings specialist operating multi-language sites selling bearings, seals, belts and power-transmission parts directly to industrial buyers; the closest direct competitor to Simply Bearings by business model, product range and target customer.
- Bearings Online: UK online bearings and seals supplier serving engineering, automotive and agricultural customers; directly comparable catalog breadth and GTM (e-commerce-led) to Simply Bearings.
Broad incumbents
- Farnell / element14: Global industrial and electronics distributor carrying bearings, seals and motion-control components to professional and OEM buyers; broader portfolio but overlapping catalog and customer base.
- Zoro Tools: UK and European industrial e-commerce retailer (part of Grainger) carrying bearings, belts and engineering consumables; competes on price, breadth and delivery speed with Simply Bearings.
- MSC Industrial Direct: Large US-based industrial MRO distributor with a substantial bearings and power-transmission offering; relevant as a comparable scale benchmark and as a marketplace-style competitor for cross-border industrial buyers.
- RS Components: Large UK/global industrial electronics and MRO distributor with a deep bearings, seals and power-transmission offering; competes with Simply Bearings on selection, trade accounts and B2B procurement.
- Cromwell Tools: UK industrial supplies distributor selling bearings, power transmission and tools to maintenance, production and trade buyers; competes with Simply Bearings in B2B MRO spend.
Others
- SKF (direct/online): OEM principal that supplies Simply Bearings; increasingly sells direct via its own portals and authorized distributors, representing both a key supplier and a structural threat if direct-to-buyer share grows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks2 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Simply Bearing social profiles
Digital presenceSimply Bearing compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Simply Bearing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Simply Bearing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Simply Bearing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Simply Bearing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Simply Bearing 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 Simply Bearing
What does Simply Bearing do?
Simply Bearings is a UK-based online retailer of bearings, seals, balls, rollers, belts, pulleys and engineering parts. It operates an e-commerce platform with 450,000+ listed products and 20,000+ items in stock, serving both individual DIY consumers and industrial/trade customers.
Is Simply Bearing a public or private company?
Simply Bearing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Simply Bearing founded?
Simply Bearing was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Simply Bearing based?
Simply Bearing is headquartered in Leigh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Simply Bearing make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. E-commerce Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are trade/Corporate Accounts.
Who are Simply Bearing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bearing King, Bearingboys, 123bearing.com and Bearings Online. Broad incumbents are Farnell / element14, Zoro Tools, MSC Industrial Direct, RS Components and Cromwell Tools. SKF (direct/online) is listed as an others.
Does Simply Bearing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Simply Bearing.