Rock Off
Rock Off Trade is a Liverpool-based B2B wholesale distributor of officially licensed music and entertainment merchandise, serving independent retailers, wholesalers, and distributors globally with 600+ licensed brands via a BigCommerce trade platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersAintree, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Rock Off does
Rock Off, operating legally as Rock Off Retail Limited and trading as Rock Off Trade, is a UK-based B2B wholesale distributor of officially licensed music and entertainment merchandise, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Aintree, Liverpool. The company distributes apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, dresses, sleepwear, kids clothing) and accessories (bags, drinkware, patches, pins, plush toys, posters, musical accessories) across 600+ licensed brands, spanning tier-1 music properties (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Metallica, Queen, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, Green Day) and entertainment IP holders (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, DC Comics, Warner Bros., Netflix, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network). It also operates 18+ proprietary sub-brand collections including Premium Carbon, Premium Wash, Premium Oversized Boxy, Spiral, Perri's, Rocksax, Alchemy Rocks, and Tokyo Time, which apply differentiated product formats to licensed designs.
The platform is built on BigCommerce and provides real-time stock management, CSV bulk ordering, and a trade account approval workflow for verified wholesale customers. Customers are segmented horizontally into independent retailers, wholesalers and distributors, online retailers, and brick-and-mortar retailers, served through a direct online ordering storefront with global shipping from the Liverpool hub and dedicated account management. Pricing is wholesale-only with no public consumer pricing displayed, requiring minimum order values referenced in the trade terms.
The revenue model is wholesale merchandise sales: the company sources officially licensed product (from third-party manufacturers under the licensing partnerships) and resells at wholesale margins to trade buyers for onward retail distribution. There are no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or external investors in the available source material, indicating a likely bootstrapped, privately-held business. Geographic reach is positioned as global via worldwide shipping, with Europe cited as a primary served region.
Rock Off firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rock Off
- Legal name
- Rock Off Retail Limited
- Website
- https://rockofftrade.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rock Off Trade is a Liverpool-based B2B wholesale distributor of officially licensed music and entertainment merchandise, serving independent retailers, wholesalers, and distributors globally with 600+ licensed brands via a BigCommerce trade platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Rock Off is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aintree
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rock Off business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale merchandise sales: B2B wholesale distribution of officially licensed music and entertainment merchandise. Sells apparel, accessories, and character merchandise to trade customers including retailers, wholesalers, and sole traders. High-volume bulk ordering with real-time stock availability.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Trade/Wholesale pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
Rock Off product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rock Off (Rock Off Trade) is a B2B wholesale distributor of officially licensed music and entertainment merchandise, supplying apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, etc.) and accessories to approved trade customers including independent retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and online sellers. Products are licensed across 600+ brands including The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Metallica, Queen, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Warner Bros., DC Comics, Netflix, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network, ordered through a trade-only online platform with worldwide shipping.
Product overview
Rock Off is a wholesale B2B e-commerce platform for officially licensed music and entertainment merchandise, operating as a single unified platform built on BigCommerce. The portfolio spans over 600 licensed music artist brands (including The Beatles, Nirvana, Rolling Stones, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Queen, Foo Fighters) and character/entertainment properties (Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Netflix). The core offering includes apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets) and accessories (bags, pins, patches, drinkware), supported by proprietary sub-brands: Premium Carbon (carbon-texture finish), Premium Wash (stone-washed vintage), Premium Oversized Boxy (contemporary fit), Premium Unplugged (soft-hand minimalist), Spiral (gothic/horror themed), Perri's (guitar accessories), Rocksax (saxophone merchandise), Alchemy Rocks (alternative rock graphics), Tokyo Time (Japanese streetwear), Mono Logo Collection (minimalist monochrome), and Wash Collection (distressed finishes).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rocksax: Brand featuring music-inspired merchandise
- Spiral
- Premium Wash
- Premium Carbon
- Perri's
- Tokyo Time
- Alchemy Rocks
- JHS
- Premium Unplugged
- Premium Oversized Boxy
- Ex. Tour Collection
- Hi-Build Collection
- Liverpool Vibes
- Mesh Tops Collection
- Mini Logo Collection
- Wash Collection
- Embellished Collection
- Mono Logo Collection
Products and services
- Official Music Artist Merchandise Wholesale officially licensed music artist merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, and accessories for over 600 artists such as The Beatles, Nirvana, Rolling Stones, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Queen, and Foo Fighters, supplied to approved trade customers.
- Official Character & Entertainment Merchandise Licensed character merchandise including Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Netflix properties on apparel and accessories, sold wholesale to trade customers.
- Licensed Apparel Range Broad wholesale apparel range including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, dresses, sleepwear, swimwear, kids clothing, joggers, shorts, socks, ties, and headwear featuring officially licensed music and entertainment designs, supplied to trade customers.
- Licensed Accessories Range Wholesale licensed accessories including bags, drinking items, jewellery, kitchenware, posters, patches, pins, plush toys, stationery, umbrellas, lanyards, magnets, metal items, and bar furniture, featuring officially licensed music and entertainment brands.
- Premium Carbon Collection Premium carbon t-shirt collection featuring high-quality fabric with a distinctive carbon texture finish, sold alongside licensed band merchandise.
- Premium Wash Collection Stone-washed and distressed finish t-shirt collection offering vintage-style band merchandise with a worn aesthetic.
- Premium Oversized Boxy Collection Oversized, boxy-fit t-shirt collection targeting contemporary streetwear styles with band and character licensing.
- Premium Unplugged Collection Soft-hand feel t-shirt collection with an unplugged, minimalist aesthetic for band merchandise.
- Spiral Collection Dark, gothic-themed merchandise collection featuring horror, fantasy, and alternative band artwork on apparel and accessories.
- Perri's Brand Music accessories brand specializing in officially licensed guitar straps, plectrums, and instrument accessories featuring band logos.
- Rocksax Brand Saxophone-themed merchandise collection combining musical instrument imagery with licensed band and entertainment properties.
- Alchemy Rocks Brand Alternative and rock-focused merchandise collection featuring distinctive graphic designs and licensed artist branding.
- Tokyo Time Brand Japanese-inspired streetwear collection blending Tokyo aesthetics with licensed entertainment and sports merchandise.
- Mono Logo Collection Minimalist monochrome logo merchandise collection featuring clean, single-color designs for licensed artists and brands.
- Wash Collection Washed and distressed finish apparel collection offering vintage-style merchandise across licensed brands.
Companies that use Rock Off
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Rock Off technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rock Off partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- The BeatlescoreLicensing partnership for official Beatles merchandise including apparel and accessories.
- Rolling StonescoreLicensing partnership for official Rolling Stones merchandise featuring iconic tongue logo and tour designs.
- NirvanacoreLicensing partnership for official Nirvana merchandise including band logos and artwork.
- MetallicacoreLicensing partnership for official Metallica merchandise across apparel and accessories.
- QueencoreLicensing partnership for official Queen merchandise featuring band crest and iconic imagery.
- Pink FloydcoreLicensing partnership for official Pink Floyd merchandise including iconic album artwork.
- Iron MaidencoreLicensing partnership for official Iron Maiden merchandise featuring Eddie mascot.
- Green DaycoreLicensing partnership for official Green Day merchandise.
- MarvelcoreLicensing partnership for official Marvel Comics merchandise including superhero characters.
- Star WarscoreLicensing partnership for official Star Wars merchandise including characters and iconic imagery.
- Warner Bros.coreLicensing partnership for official Warner Bros. character merchandise.
- DisneycoreLicensing partnership for official Disney character merchandise.
- DC ComicscoreLicensing partnership for official DC Comics merchandise including Batman, Superman, and other superhero characters.
- NetflixcoreLicensing partnership for official Netflix series merchandise including Ted Lasso and other popular shows.
- NickelodeoncoreLicensing partnership for official Nickelodeon character merchandise.
- Cartoon NetworkcoreLicensing partnership for official Cartoon Network character merchandise including Looney Tunes.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rock Off competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GB Eye: UK-based wholesale distributor of licensed posters, prints, and merchandise across music and entertainment. Direct competitor in the trade-merch segment with overlapping artist and franchise licensing.
- Half Moon Bay: UK-based wholesale supplier of licensed giftware, plush, and character merchandise. Comparable B2B trade model and entertainment IP portfolio with overlap across music, film, and character properties.
- Bravado: Universal Music Group's dedicated merchandise and brand management division. Direct competitor in B2B licensed music merchandise, with deeper artist relationships and tour-merch exclusivity across UMG's roster.
- Underground Toys: UK-based wholesale distributor of licensed toys, gifts, and character merchandise. Comparable B2B trade model and entertainment IP portfolio (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, gaming franchises).
- Pyramid International: UK-based wholesaler of officially licensed music, film, and entertainment merchandise (posters, badges, apparel). Closest direct peer to Rock Off: same geography, same B2B trade model, same licensed catalog focus.
- Paladone: UK-based wholesale supplier of officially licensed giftware, novelties, and entertainment merchandise. Comparable in scale, channel (B2B wholesale), and licensed IP portfolio across music, gaming, and entertainment.
- EMP Merchandising: European music, band, and entertainment merchandise retailer with wholesale operations. Comparable music-merch focus and target customer base (rock/pop fan apparel and accessories) across European markets.
- Bioworld: Global wholesale manufacturer of licensed entertainment apparel and accessories for music, film, and gaming IP. Comparable B2B wholesale model and licensed catalog breadth, though US-headquartered and larger in scale.
Broad incumbents
- Funko: Global entertainment merchandise company best known for collectible figures, but expanding into apparel and broader licensed lifestyle products. Overlaps with Rock Off on entertainment IP licensing and fan-driven merchandise, but operates at much larger scale with a different primary product (figures vs apparel).
- Hot Topic: US-headquartered specialty retailer of music, pop culture, and licensed entertainment merchandise. Comparable in catalog (band tees, character merch, accessories) and target demographic, though retail-only and primarily North American.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rock Off social profiles
Digital presenceRock Off financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rock Off leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rock Off funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rock Off 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 Rock Off
What does Rock Off do?
Rock Off (Rock Off Trade) is a B2B wholesale distributor of officially licensed music and entertainment merchandise, supplying apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, etc.) and accessories to approved trade customers including independent retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and online sellers. Products are licensed across 600+ brands including The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Metallica, Queen, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Warner Bros., DC Comics, Netflix, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network, ordered through a trade-only online platform with worldwide shipping.
Is Rock Off a public or private company?
Rock Off is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Rock Off founded?
Rock Off was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rock Off based?
Rock Off is headquartered in Aintree, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Rock Off make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale merchandise sales.
Who are Rock Off's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GB Eye, Half Moon Bay, Bravado, Underground Toys, Pyramid International, Paladone, EMP Merchandising and Bioworld. Broad incumbents are Funko and Hot Topic.
Does Rock Off have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rock Off.