BigShip

What BigShip does

BigShip is a French marine equipment retailer (shipchandler) headquartered at 5 rue Maurice Mallet in Rochefort, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, structured as a Société par Actions Simplifiée (SAS) with registered capital of €76,500. The company serves recreational boaters (plaisanciers) and professional maritime users across Metropolitan France through a hybrid distribution model combining 45 connected physical stores with e-commerce platforms (bigship.com and bigship.fr), complemented by an active franchise network ('Devenir un magasin BIGSHIP'). Vincent Zaleman serves as Director of Publication responsible for the website.

The company's core offering is a comprehensive catalog spanning over 13 product universes, organized into major categories including safety (life jackets, life rafts, EPIRBs, fire safety, AIS beacons), marine electronics (VHF fixed and portable radios, satellite phones and communication systems via Iridium, Inmarsat, and Garmin inReach, GPS units, fish finders and sonars, radar, autopilots, NMEA2000 instruments), navigation (compasses, binoculars, charts), mooring and docking (dinghies, fenders, anchors, winches), electrical systems (batteries, chargers, solar panels, lighting), onboard comfort (water systems, refrigeration, marine toilets, interior furnishings), rigging and hardware (blocks, cleats, winches, sails and canvas), propulsion (propellers, outboard motors, thrusters), maintenance (antifouling, cleaners, resins), and water sports/leisure equipment. The company also operates a BigShip private-label brand across clothing, accessories, and merchandise. The underlying technology platform is a retail and distribution engine focused on third-party marine electronics expertise rather than proprietary software development.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: product sales (one-time hardware transactions with publicly listed unit pricing ranging from €1.20 for small accessories to €3,525 for premium Iridium satellite systems) and a free loyalty program (carte de fidélité) that rewards repeat purchases across the store network. The go-to-market combines immediate in-store pickup, 24-48 hour home delivery, and free store delivery on orders, supported by email marketing, customer reviews, and the loyalty mechanism. With 39 total employees at the corporate level managing the 45-store footprint, the operating model relies heavily on franchisees for last-mile retail execution while the central entity coordinates brand, supply chain, and digital channels. Customer testimonials consistently cite staff expertise, responsiveness, and product availability as defining strengths.

Name

BigShip

Legal name

BIGSHIP

Website

https://bigship.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BigShip is a French shipchandler operating 45 connected physical stores and e-commerce platforms across France, selling a comprehensive catalog of marine safety, electronics, navigation, mooring, and comfort equipment to recreational boaters and professional maritime users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Equipment Retail (Ship Chandlery)

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware (5072)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Marine equipment retail
• Boat accessories
• Ship chandlery
• Marine electronics
• Boating safety equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochefort

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Retail sales of marine boat accessories through both physical stores and e-commerce channels. The company offers over 13 product categories spanning safety equipment, electronics, navigation, mooring, rigging, comfort, engine maintenance, and personal gear. Revenue is generated through one-time product transactions with standard retail pricing.
2. Loyalty Program: Free loyalty card program (carte de fidélité) that rewards customers for purchases across their store network. This drives repeat customer visits and builds customer retention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BigShip is a French marine equipment retailer (shipchandler) that sells boat accessories, marine electronics, safety gear, mooring/docking equipment, electrical systems, comfort/interior products, propulsion, rigging, maintenance supplies, and water sports/leisure gear for both recreational and professional mariners. The company distributes through an e-commerce platform (bigship.com) combined with a network of 45 connected physical stores across France, offering immediate in-store pickup, 24–48 hour home delivery, expert in-store advice, and a free loyalty card program. It also offers franchise opportunities for additional physical retail locations.

Product overview

BigShip is a French marine equipment retailer operating 45 connected physical stores and an e-commerce platform (bigship.com), serving both coastal and offshore mariners. The company offers a comprehensive catalog organized into major product universes: Safety (life jackets, rafts, EPIRBs, fire safety), Electronics (VHF radios, satellite phones, GPS, sonars, radar, autopilots, AIS systems), Navigation (charts, compasses, binoculars), Mooring/Docking (dinghies, fenders, anchors, winches), Electrical (batteries, solar, lighting), Comfort/Interior (refrigeration, water systems, toilets, TVs), Rigging (blocks, winches, sails, canvas), Propulsion (propellers, thrusters, outboard motors), Maintenance (antifouling, cleaners, resins), and Leisure (water sports, diving, fishing). The company also sells BigShip private label branded merchandise. BigShip positions itself as shipchandlers serving the maritime community with products selected for performance, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BIGSHIP: Private label brand for BigShip-branded products including clothing, accessories, boat equipment, and merchandise items sold at the company's stores and online.

Products and services

• VHF Radio & Communication Equipment Fixed and portable VHF radios, antennas, connectors, speakers, and accessories for marine radio communication, sold to recreational boaters and professional maritime users in France.
• Satellite Telephony Satellite phones and communication devices including Iridium, Inmarsat, and Garmin inReach products providing global satellite coverage for voice, SMS, and data communication at sea.
• GPS & Chart Readers Fixed and portable GPS devices, chart readers, antennas, and accessories for marine navigation and positioning.
• Fish Finders & Sonars Color sonars, portable fish finders, black box sonars, transducers, and fishing electronics for recreational and commercial fishing.
• Radar Systems Marine radar systems including antennas, cables, and mounting hardware.
• Autopilots Steering systems including tiller pilots, wheel pilots, in-board autopilots, power units, and accessories.
• AIS Systems & Beacons AIS beacons, SART transponders, radar detectors, and AIS receivers for vessel tracking and collision avoidance.
• Life Jackets & Inflatable PFDs Life jackets, inflatable PFDs, sports vests, recharges, and accessories for personal flotation.
• Life Rafts

Quantifiable outcome

• 45-store network across France
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Accastillage Diffusion: Major French marine equipment retailer and shipchandler offering a comparable broad catalog of rigging, electronics, safety, and boat accessories through physical stores and e-commerce — the closest domestic direct competitor to BigShip.
• Uship: Online marine equipment marketplace and shipchandler offering sailing hardware, electronics, and safety gear across multiple European markets — a digital-native direct competitor targeting the same plaisancier customer base.
• SVB (Sailing Yacht Boutique): Leading European online marine equipment retailer based in Germany with a strong French customer base — directly comparable in product breadth, electronics specialization, and shipchandler positioning.
• Nauticlub: French marine equipment retailer specializing in boating accessories, electronics, and safety equipment — overlaps with BigShip on core plaisancier product categories and target customer.
• Mister Marine: French online shipchandler offering marine electronics, safety, and boat accessories — competes with BigShip in the French e-commerce shipchandler category with comparable product depth.
• DEF (Diffusion Équipement France): French marine equipment distributor and retailer serving both B2B marine professionals and plaisanciers — comparable business model with multi-channel distribution of marine hardware and safety gear.
• Capi Marine: French marine equipment retailer with both physical stores and online presence, focused on boating accessories and safety equipment for the French recreational boating market.

Broad incumbents

• West Marine: The largest marine equipment retailer in North America, offering a comprehensive multi-category catalog across stores and online — a broad incumbent demonstrating the scale and category breadth BigShip is pursuing in France.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 BigShip