Space Store
Space Store is a privately held, Oxford-based space edutainment retailer operating a single Covered Market store where it sells space merchandise and delivers paid VR/AR-based Astronaut and Moon experiences, meteorite handling, holiday camps, accredited online courses, and shippable activity boxes to families, schools, and corporate clients across the UK and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersOxford, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Space Store does
Space Store Limited is a privately held, Oxford-based space edutainment company founded in 2019 by Stephen Ringler. It operates a single retail and experience hub inside the Oxford Covered Market (118 Covered Market, OX1 3DZ) where it sells space-themed merchandise and delivers paid immersive experiences — the 90-minute Astronaut Experience (£54.99), the 30-minute Mission to the Moon VR escape-room (£19.99), and the shippable Exploration Space activity box (£39.99). The core technology stack is built around consumer-grade Virtual Reality (spacewalk and rocket-launch simulations) and Augmented Reality (interactive Solar System with quizzes, Satellite Treasure Hunt), layered with hands-on handling of genuine meteorites and UK Space Agency-commissioned replica Tim Peake Sokol Space Suits.
The business model blends one-time experience tickets, shippable activity boxes, e-commerce merchandise (apparel, posters, meteorites, fossils, toys priced £1.99–£119.99), and a holiday-camp programme (Space Activity Days, £49–54/day) delivered in partnership with House of Fun across multiple Oxfordshire school sites. Customer segments span individual consumers and families (primary), corporate teams (team building and conference entertainment), and schools (state, independent, and home school), with an additional accredited Online Space Course and the forthcoming Oxford Summer Space & AI Course extending into formal education.
Distribution runs through direct channels (Oxford storefront, e-commerce with UK and international shipping) and partnership channels (Virgin Experience Days voucher distribution, House of Fun camp bookings). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is founder-led with a small team and no disclosed external funding, while its stated ambition is to build a UK network of space-themed retail and experience hubs.
Space Store firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Space Store
- Legal name
- Space Store Limited
- Website
- https://spacestore.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Space Store is a privately held, Oxford-based space edutainment retailer operating a single Covered Market store where it sells space merchandise and delivers paid VR/AR-based Astronaut and Moon experiences, meteorite handling, holiday camps, accredited online courses, and shippable activity boxes to families, schools, and corporate clients across the UK and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Space Store industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Experiential Education and Retail
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Outdoor & Ride-On Toys Retail (CRALAFAC)
Keywords
Where Space Store is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oxford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Space Store business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- In-Person Space Experiences: Paid experiences including Astronaut Experience (£54.99 for 90 minutes), Mission to the Moon (£19.99 for 30 minutes), and other space-themed activities at the Oxford location. Maximum 4 participants per session.
- Online/Remote Experiences: Exploration Space home activity boxes shipped to customers (£39.99), including VR/AR components and real meteorites. Also includes online space courses for 14-21+ year olds.
- Holiday Camps and Educational Programs: Space Activity Days holiday camps in partnership with House of Fun, charging £49-54 per full day for children aged 5-13. Also includes after-school clubs and enrichment activities.
- Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of space-themed products including apparel (Planet Tees, Astroscale Tee), posters (NASA satellite imagery), accessories, toys, and science items. Ships UK (£4.99) and internationally (£17.99).
- Business/Corporate Experiences: Team building and staff appreciation experiences for organizations, with bespoke event entertainment including VR and space talks for conferences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Astronaut Experience - Full 90-minute immersive space experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mission to the Moon - 30-minute escape room VR experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Exploration Space - At-home activity box experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Space Activity Days - Holiday camp full day |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping costs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise - Various space-themed products |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Space Store product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Space Store operates a space-themed retail and experiential edutainment business, anchored by a physical store in Oxford's Covered Market and complemented by an e-commerce shop and online course offerings. The company sells paid in-person experiences (Astronaut Experience, Mission to the Moon), ships at-home activity boxes (Exploration Space), runs holiday camps and online accredited courses, and retails space-themed merchandise including apparel, posters, meteorites, and fossils. It also delivers corporate team-building events and school educational programs using VR/AR technology, genuine meteorites, and replica space suits.
Product overview
Space Store operates as a space-themed retail and experiential edutainment company with a unified platform of physical experiences, educational programmes, and merchandise products. The core product portfolio consists of in-store experiences (Astronaut Experience at £54.99 for 90 minutes, Mission to the Moon at £19.99 for 30 minutes, Exploration Space activity boxes at £39.99), education services (Online Space Course, Oxford Summer Space & AI Course, Space for Education), and business offerings (Space for Business team experiences). Supporting these are space-themed merchandise products including apparel (Kids Planet Tee shirts, Astroscale Tee, Oxford Dynamics Sweater), planetary and city-at-night posters, meteorites, fossils, toys, and mission patches. The company also partners with House of Fun for holiday Activity Days for children aged 5-13. All experiences are delivered from Space Store Oxford in the Covered Market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Astronaut Experience
- Mission to the Moon
- Exploration Space Interactive home experience delivered as an activity box including Satellite Treasure Hunt, Augmented Reality Solar System exploration, and real meteorite specimens to keep. Duration approximately 1 hour. Priced at £39.99 per box (usually £49.99), recommended for up to 6 people.
- Space Activity Days Holiday club programme for children aged 5-13 featuring space activities, arts and crafts, cookery, and sports. Delivered in partnership with House of Fun across Oxfordshire including Rush Common, Cutteslowe, St Mary and St John, and Didcot Railway Centre. Priced at £49-54 per full day, with half days available for 4 year olds and 10% sibling discount.
- Online Space Course
- Oxford Summer Space and AI Course Summer residential course in Oxford combining space science and AI education, with registration open for 2026.
- Space for Education Educational experiences for schools including astronaut space suit try-on, virtual reality, meteorite handling, and satellite treasure hunts. Suitable for state, independent, and home school settings.
- Space for Business Corporate team building and staff appreciation experiences featuring edutainment-style activities, VR, space talks, conference entertainment, and lunchtime activities for organisations of all sizes.
- Meteorites Genuine meteorites sourced globally via Aerolite Meteorites, available for retail purchase and used in educational handling experiences.
- Fossils Fossils found across the globe, available for retail purchase through the Space Store shop.
- Space Merchandise (Apparel, Posters, Toys, Gifts) Space-themed retail products including apparel (Planet Tee t-shirts, Astroscale Tee, polo shirts, sweaters), posters (planetary collection, city-at-night series), toys, gifts, and mission patches, retailed via the e-commerce shop and physical store.
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of participants have completed the Astronaut Experience since 2019
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Space Store
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Space Store technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Space Store partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- House of FuncoreSpace Store partners with House of Fun, an established holiday childcare provider, to deliver Space Activity Days camps. Space Store provides space-themed activities, educational content, and staff for camps held at various school locations across Oxfordshire (Rush Common, Cutteslowe, St Mary & St John, Didcot Railway Centre). House of Fun handles booking, payment processing, and operational management of the camps.
- Aerolite MeteoritescoreSource of genuine, verified meteorites used in Space Store experiences and sold in the shop. Aerolite Meteorites is described as one of the world's largest collectors of authentic meteorites, sourcing specimens from North Africa, Australia, America, and other locations globally.
- UK Space AgencycoreCommissioned the replica Tim Peake Sokol Space Suits used in Space Store experiences. Space Store gained special permission from the UK Space Agency to use these suits, ensuring the experience maintains an educational focus.
- Virgin Experience DaysminorDistribution partner for Space Store experience vouchers. Customers can purchase Astronaut Experience and other vouchers through the Virgin Experience Days platform, extending Space Store's reach to Virgin's customer base.
- AstroscaleminorLimited edition Astroscale Tee sold at Space Store, featuring the space debris removal company's branding. Astroscale is the first private company with a mission for orbital sustainability. Partnership supports sustainable space through merchandise sales.
- EarthPositiveminorCertification for apparel (Astroscale Tee, other garments) ensuring carbon neutral, climate neutral products made with 100% organic materials and sustainable energy (wind and solar power). 90% CO2 reduction achieved.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Space Store competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Science Museum: Major UK science museum with substantial space galleries, broader appeal, and significantly larger scale. Competes for the same school and family audiences but with vastly greater resources and reach.
- Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum: Larger UK science museum with broader scope but overlapping family/school audience and hands-on experiential approach to STEM edutainment.
Direct peers
- The Observatory Science Centre: Hands-on science and astronomy visitor centre at Herstmonceux. Direct peer for astronomy-focused educational experiences, school visits, and family programming in the UK.
- Winchester Science Centre: Hands-on UK science centre with planetarium, exhibits, and school programmes. Direct peer in the family-focused science edutainment space with comparable ticketed experience and educational offerings.
- National Space Centre: UK space-themed attraction and education centre in Leicester with hands-on exhibits, planetarium, and school programmes. Closest direct peer given overlapping audience (families, schools, space enthusiasts) and similar edutainment/retail proposition.
- Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre: UK space observatory with visitor centre, science exhibits, and educational programming. Comparable space-themed attraction with similar family/educational audience and STEM mission.
- Royal Observatory Greenwich: Historic astronomy venue with planetarium shows, exhibitions, and educational programmes. Comparable as a UK space-themed destination attraction targeting families, schools, and tourists.
Regional players
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: US-based museum complex with significant space exhibits, immersive experiences, and educational programming. Comparable family/school destination attraction but North American geography.
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: US-based space-themed visitor attraction with immersive experiences, exhibits, and educational programmes. Highly comparable product mix (space experiences, retail, education) but operates in a different geography.
Emerging players
- Sent Into Space: UK-based space-focused experiential company offering near-space balloon flights and space-themed marketing campaigns. Smaller and more event-driven, but operates in the same space-as-experience category with UK customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Space Store social profiles
Digital presenceSpace Store financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Space Store leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Space Store funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Space Store 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 Space Store
What does Space Store do?
Space Store operates a space-themed retail and experiential edutainment business, anchored by a physical store in Oxford's Covered Market and complemented by an e-commerce shop and online course offerings. The company sells paid in-person experiences (Astronaut Experience, Mission to the Moon), ships at-home activity boxes (Exploration Space), runs holiday camps and online accredited courses, and retails space-themed merchandise including apparel, posters, meteorites, and fossils. It also delivers corporate team-building events and school educational programs using VR/AR technology, genuine meteorites, and replica space suits.
Is Space Store a public or private company?
Space Store is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Space Store founded?
Space Store was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Space Store based?
Space Store is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Space Store make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. In-Person Space Experiences are the primary driver. The others are online/Remote Experiences, holiday Camps and Educational Programs, merchandise Sales and business/Corporate Experiences.
Who are Space Store's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Science Museum and Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. Direct peers are The Observatory Science Centre, Winchester Science Centre, National Space Centre, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre and Royal Observatory Greenwich. Regional players are Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Sent Into Space is listed as an emerging player.
Does Space Store have an API?
No public API is recorded for Space Store.
What industry is Space Store in?
Space Store's product category is Space Experiential Education and Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAJAG, Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops, with a secondary code of CRALAFAC, Outdoor & Ride-On Toys Retail. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.