Uship
Uship is a French specialty retailer founded in 1983 that sells nautical equipment and boat supplies through 140+ physical stores worldwide and an e-commerce site, serving recreational boaters and professional mariners across 15 product categories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersLandévant, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Uship does
Uship is a privately held French specialty retailer of nautical equipment and boat supplies, founded in 1983 and headquartered in the Lorient area of France (Landévant). The company operates an omnichannel model combining 140+ physical retail stores worldwide with an e-commerce storefront at uship.fr, targeting recreational boaters as its primary segment and professional mariners as a secondary segment. Its catalog spans more than 10,000 SKUs across 15 main categories, including rigging and deck hardware, electronics, safety equipment, engines, anchoring/mooring, water sports, and onboard living essentials. Premium third-party brands carried include Harken, Ronstan, Selden, Antal, Lewmar, and Wichard, alongside a growing private-label Uship brand line.
The company monetizes primarily through one-time retail product sales across both online and in-store channels, with unit prices ranging from €1.30 for small parts to €6,169 for premium hardware such as Harken genoa furlers. Conversion levers include free delivery above €150, free in-store pickup across the network, expert phone support (02 97 24 20 25), and in-store specialists. Marketing is multi-channel, combining organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok), an annual print catalog (2026 edition), an educational Uship Academy blog, email newsletters, and seasonal promotional campaigns. The technology base is a standard e-commerce retail platform integrated with the physical store network; no AI, mobile app, or API offerings are disclosed in the source material.
Uship firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Uship
- Legal name
- Uship, Inc.
- Website
- https://uship.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Uship is a French specialty retailer founded in 1983 that sells nautical equipment and boat supplies through 140+ physical stores worldwide and an e-commerce site, serving recreational boaters and professional mariners across 15 product categories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Uship industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nautical Equipment Retail
- NAICS
- Boat Dealers (441222), Ship and Boat Building (33661)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sailing & Rigging Retail (Sailboats, Sails, Hardware) (CRAMAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Yacht Tenders & Auxiliary Leisure Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAEAO)
Keywords
Where Uship is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Landévant
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Uship business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: One-time product sales of nautical equipment and accessories through physical retail stores and e-commerce. Revenue generated from markup on products sourced from various marine equipment manufacturers including Harken, Ronstan, Antal, Selden, Lewmar, and Wichard.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for nautical equipment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Uship product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Uship is a specialty retailer selling nautical equipment and boat supplies to sailboat and motorboat owners through its e-commerce site uship.fr and a network of 140+ physical stores worldwide. Its catalog of 10,000+ SKUs spans rigging and deck hardware, marine electronics, safety equipment, water and electrical systems, engines, anchoring/mooring, water sports, and onboard living products, distributed under the Uship private label and partner brands including Harken, Selden, Ronstan, Antal, Lewmar, and Wichard.
Product overview
Uship is a specialty retailer of nautical equipment and boat supplies operating a network of over 140 stores worldwide. The company offers a portfolio of more than 10,000 products across 15 main categories covering the complete needs of sailboat and motorboat owners. The core product lines include marine hardware and rigging (pulleys, winches, rails, blocks), boat electronics (GPS, radar, autopilots, VHF), safety equipment (life jackets, life rafts, distress beacons), water and electrical systems, engines (outboard and electric), anchoring and mooring equipment, water sports gear, and onboard living essentials. Uship carries multiple branded product lines including Harken, Selden, Ronstan, Antal, Lewmar, and operates as both a retailer and specialist in the French nautical equipment market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Accastillage et gréement (Rigging and deck hardware) Comprehensive deck hardware category for sailboats and motorboats, including marine pulleys, rail and carriage systems, roll-bars, winches, cleats, cordage, deck fittings, and rigging components from brands such as Harken, Selden, Antal, Ronstan, Lewmar, and Wichard.
- Eau à bord (Onboard water systems) Water management systems for boats including water heaters, desalination units, pumps, plumbing components, and marine toilets, intended for sailboat and motorboat owners outfitting or maintaining onboard water facilities.
- Electricité (Marine electrical systems) Marine electrical systems including batteries, wiring, chargers, converters, lighting, and shore power connections for sailboat and motorboat installations.
- Electronique (Marine electronics) Marine electronics including GPS, radar, sonar, autopilots, VHF radios, AIS systems, and navigation instruments for boat owners seeking navigation and communication capability.
- Sécurité (Boat safety equipment) Boat safety equipment including life jackets, life rafts, EPIRBs, distress beacons, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits, addressing regulatory and personal safety requirements for recreational and professional boaters.
- Sports nautiques (Water sports equipment) Water sports equipment including kayaks, paddleboards, tow sports gear, surfboards, diving equipment, and underwater scooters for recreational water sports activities.
- Vie à bord (Onboard living equipment) Onboard comfort and living equipment including heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, cooktops, bedding, and storage solutions for sailboat and motorboat owners.
- Moteur (Boat engines) Boat engines including outboard motors, electric motors (Minn Kota, Torqeedo, Garmin), and thermal engines with related accessories, serving propulsion needs for small to mid-sized boats.
- Mouillage (Anchoring and mooring) Anchoring and mooring equipment including anchors, anchor chains, windlasses, mooring lines, fenders, and dinghies, including the Uship V-Shape private-label inflatable dinghy line.
- Librairie (Nautical books and navigation) Nautical books, charts, navigation guides, permits, logbooks, and electronic navigation libraries for skippers and boat owners needing reference and regulatory material.
Companies that use Uship
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Uship technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Uship partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- HarkencoreHarken is a featured brand on Uship with 229+ products listed. The brand specializes in marine hardware including pulleys, winches, and deck equipment. Harken has been present in major maritime sporting events for 50 years including the Ocean Race, Americas Cup, and Olympic Games. Uship serves as a retailer and distributor for Harken products in the French market.
- RonstancoreRonstan is featured as a premium marine hardware brand on Uship, specializing in high-performance pulleys and sailing hardware. Products include the Ronstan Orbit Block series prominently displayed on the platform.
- SeldencoreSelden is a key mast and rigging partner featured on Uship. The brand offers systems including Selden Sys22 and Sys30 for genoa and mainsheet cars, as well as furling systems.
- AntalcoreAntal is a marine hardware brand distributed through Uship, specializing in high-performance opening blocks and snatch blocks with Dyneema attachments.
- WichardcoreWichard is a French manufacturer of marine hardware featured on Uship. The brand specializes in opening textile blocks and stainless steel hardware. Products include the Wichard opening textile block series with Made in France designation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Uship competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amazon: Global generalist e-commerce marketplace carrying an expanding assortment of marine hardware, electronics, and accessories at competitive prices; a structural threat on convenience and price across Uship's entire catalog rather than a specialty competitor.
- Decathlon: French-headquartered global sporting-goods retailer offering private-label and branded water-sports, sailing, and boat equipment; competes with Uship on price and convenience for entry-level and mid-range marine SKUs, particularly in France.
Direct peers
- West Marine: US-based specialty marine equipment retailer with a large store network and broad catalog of rigging, electronics, safety, and accessories; the closest large-scale analog to Uship's omnichannel specialty-retail model, differing primarily by geography.
- Fisheries Supply: Specialty marine equipment retailer in the Pacific Northwest serving both recreational and commercial customers with rigging, electronics, and safety gear; analogous to Uship in scope but anchored in a regional US market.
- Defender Marine: Long-established US marine equipment retailer carrying a deep assortment of hardware, electronics, and accessories; comparable to Uship in product breadth and B2C/catalog-driven motion, but with a US customer base.
- Budget Marine: Caribbean-focused marine equipment retailer with a multi-island store network and full rigging-to-safety catalog; similar specialty-store-and-omnichannel model to Uship but operating primarily in a different geographic region.
- SVB (Sailorfriends / Sailing-Versand-Bedarf): German specialty mail-order and online retailer of sailing hardware, rigging, and boat equipment; competes directly with Uship in the European sailing-specialist segment with a similar premium-brand portfolio and expert-customer base.
- Werner Voß Marine (A.W. Niemeyer): German mail-order and online retailer specializing in sailing hardware and nautical equipment; directly comparable to Uship in catalog focus and European customer base.
Emerging players
- Navistore (Diffusion Plus / Plastimo): French marine equipment brand and retailer (Plastimo/Navistore group) selling compasses, safety gear, and rigging-adjacent equipment; partial overlap with Uship's safety and rigging categories and a France-focused competitor.
- iNautic (Navicom / Navicom France): French marine electronics specialist (VHF, GPS, AIS, navigation) with overlap to Uship's electronics category; complementary rather than fully overlapping, but a credible niche competitor in a high-value subset of Uship's catalog.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Uship social profiles
Digital presenceUship financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Uship leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Uship funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Uship 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 Uship
What does Uship do?
Uship is a specialty retailer selling nautical equipment and boat supplies to sailboat and motorboat owners through its e-commerce site uship.fr and a network of 140+ physical stores worldwide. Its catalog of 10,000+ SKUs spans rigging and deck hardware, marine electronics, safety equipment, water and electrical systems, engines, anchoring/mooring, water sports, and onboard living products, distributed under the Uship private label and partner brands including Harken, Selden, Ronstan, Antal, Lewmar, and Wichard.
Is Uship a public or private company?
Uship is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Uship founded?
Uship was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Uship based?
Uship is headquartered in Landévant, France, in the Europe region.
How does Uship make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail Product Sales.
Who are Uship's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amazon and Decathlon. Direct peers are West Marine, Fisheries Supply, Defender Marine, Budget Marine, SVB (Sailorfriends / Sailing-Versand-Bedarf) and Werner Voß Marine (A.W. Niemeyer). Emerging players are Navistore (Diffusion Plus / Plastimo) and iNautic (Navicom / Navicom France).
Does Uship have an API?
No public API is recorded for Uship.
What industry is Uship in?
Uship's product category is Nautical Equipment Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAIAG, Sailing & Rigging Retail (Sailboats, Sails, Hardware), with a secondary code of IMAJAEAO, Yacht Tenders & Auxiliary Leisure Craft Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 441222 and its SIC code is 3730.