Gerstaecker UK Ltd (t/a GreatArt)

What Gerstaecker UK Ltd (t/a GreatArt) does

Gerstaecker UK Limited, trading as GreatArt, is the UK operating subsidiary of the German GERSTAECKER group and operates as an omnichannel retailer of art and craft supplies. Founded in 2002 in Alton, Hampshire, the company began as an online-only mail-order business and expanded in 2018 with an 8,500 sq ft flagship store at 49 Kingsland Road in London's Shoreditch district. Its catalog spans roughly 50,000–65,000 SKUs covering paints (oil, acrylic, watercolour, gouache, tempera, airbrush), canvases, easels, brushes, drawing tools, papers, printmaking, sculpture, framing, and hobby/craft supplies, including the proprietary I Love Art private-label range.

The business is built on a self-serve e-commerce platform (greatart.co.uk) integrated with inventory management, customer accounts, order tracking, and Click & Collect from the Shoreditch store. A Quick Shop function accepts bulk product-code entry for repeat buyers, and checkout is processed through Secure Trading and PayPal. Distribution is primarily UK-domestic; international orders are routed via the German head office in Eitorf with a 150 EUR minimum.

The revenue model is direct-to-consumer retail with one-time product transactions across consumer, hobbyist, student, and education segments. Pricing is unit-based, with free standard delivery above £75 and tiered shipping below that threshold; a 15% year-round VAP student discount, gift vouchers, and seasonal promotions drive incremental conversion. Customer acquisition combines content marketing (GreatArt Magazine), email newsletter, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest), and an affiliate program. The UK entity is wholly owned by the family-controlled GERSTAECKER group, with no external funding, no public listing, and an 8-person local team supported by the German parent.

Name

Gerstaecker UK Ltd (t/a GreatArt)

Legal name

Gerstaecker UK Limited

Website

https://greatart.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gerstaecker UK Ltd (t/a GreatArt) is the UK subsidiary of the German GERSTAECKER group, operating an omnichannel art-supply retail business — an e-commerce platform with 50,000–65,000 SKUs plus a flagship store in London Shoreditch — serving professional artists, art students, hobbyists, and schools in the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Supplies Retail

NAICS

Paint and Wallpaper Retailers (444120)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing) (CRALACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Crafts & Hobby Supplies Retail (CRALAIAC)

Keywords

• Art supplies retail
• Artist materials
• Hobby craft supplies
• Custom framing services
• Art e-commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Direct retail sales of art supplies through e-commerce website and physical store. Products range from professional artist materials to hobby and craft supplies. Revenue generated through one-time product transactions with no subscription component.
2. Gift Vouchers: Digital gift vouchers sold online and in-store, redeemable on the website with residual balance functionality.
3. Custom Framing Services: Custom framing and mounting services offered through the London store location.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GreatArt is an online and physical retailer selling over 65,000 art supplies spanning professional artist materials (oil, acrylic, watercolour paints, brushes, canvases, easels), hobby and craft supplies, gift sets, and its own I Love Art brand. The company operates an e-commerce platform at greatart.co.uk alongside an 8,500 square foot retail store in London Shoreditch, offering Click & Collect, custom framing services, and gift vouchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• I Love Art: Exclusive brand offering art supplies including paints, canvases, papers, easels, brushes, and accessories for artists.

Products and services

• I Love Art Brand Exclusive own-brand art supplies product line offered by GreatArt, covering paints, canvases, papers, easels, brushes, drawing tools, markers, inks, and framing products aimed at artists, students, and hobbyists seeking value options.
• Custom Framing and Mounting Service Professional custom framing and mounting service offered in-person at the London Shoreditch retail store for customers presenting artwork or items to be framed.
• Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers sold online and in the London store, redeemable on the website with residual balance functionality, targeted at customers buying gifts for artists and hobbyists.
• VAP Student Discount Card Loyalty membership program for students offering 15% year-round discount plus birthday offers, registration available in the London Shoreditch store with valid Student Card or Student ID.
• Gift Sets Curated gift sets bundled across multiple categories including acrylic paint sets, brush sets, calligraphy sets, canvas sets, drawing and sketching sets, gouache paint sets, hobby and craft sets, I LOVE ART sets, oil paint sets, pastel sets, printmaking sets, sculpture and modelling sets, and watercolour paint sets.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GERSTAECKER Group (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerstaecker UK Ltd is part of the GERSTAECKER group, which operates in nine European countries. The group was founded in 1953 by Johannes Gerstaecker and is headquartered in Eitorf, Germany. The UK entity trades as GreatArt and benefits from the group's scale and heritage in art supplies distribution.
• Secure TradingcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner providing secure checkout services for the e-commerce platform.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner enabling secure payment options for customers at checkout.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Michaels Companies: North America's largest arts and crafts retailer with broad assortment spanning fine art, hobby, framing, and DIY. Comparable in category scope but operates at massive scale versus GreatArt's UK specialty focus.
• Dick Blick Art Materials: Largest US specialty art supplies retailer offering professional and hobbyist materials across paints, brushes, canvases, and framing — comparable assortment and customer base to GreatArt but at North American scale.
• Hobbycraft: UK's largest specialist arts and crafts retailer with nationwide superstores plus online. Overlaps with GreatArt in hobby/craft and entry-level artist supplies, but operates at much broader scale and a wider hobby category scope.

Direct peers

• Jackson's Art Supplies: Long-established UK online art supplies retailer offering a broad catalogue of paints, brushes, canvases, and papers to professional and amateur artists — directly competing with GreatArt in the UK e-commerce fine art materials segment.
• Cass Art: UK specialty art supplies retailer operating multiple physical stores plus e-commerce, serving the same professional artist, student, and hobbyist segments as GreatArt with overlapping fine art and craft assortments.
• Baker Ross: UK-based arts, crafts, and hobby supplies retailer focused on accessible craft and educational ranges for children, hobbyists, and schools — overlapping with GreatArt's hobbyist and educational customer segments.

Emerging players

• Titan Art Supplies: UK-based art and craft supplies e-commerce retailer focused on hobbyists and crafters with a curated, value-oriented assortment — overlaps with GreatArt's hobbyist segment but typically at lower price points and narrower catalog depth.

Others

• Winsor & Newton: Premium artist paints and materials manufacturer whose products are sold by GreatArt. Comparable in that both serve fine art customers, but Winsor & Newton is a brand supplier while GreatArt is a multi-brand retailer.

Regional players

• Art Discount (boesner): German fine art supplies retailer offering professional paints, canvases, and materials across DACH and broader Europe — comparable assortment and target customer to GreatArt but serving a different primary geography.
• DeSerres: Canadian specialty art supplies retailer with national store footprint plus e-commerce, serving professional, student, and hobbyist artists — comparable category and customer focus but operating in a different geography than GreatArt.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/greatart_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/MyGreatArt
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatart_uk
• Pinterestpinterest.com/greatartuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greatart

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 Gerstaecker UK Ltd (t/a GreatArt)