JOHN NORRIS OF PENRITH LIMITED

What JOHN NORRIS OF PENRITH LIMITED does

John Norris of Penrith Limited is a family-run UK specialty retailer founded in 1971 in Penrith, Cumbria, operating a single flagship store at junction 40 off the M6 motorway alongside a Shopify-based e-commerce platform. The company sells country sports and rural lifestyle merchandise across seven core categories: fishing tackle (fly rods, reels, lines, flies, waders, accessories), country clothing for men, women, and children (stocking brands such as Barbour, Deerhunter, Schoffel, Hoggs of Fife, Seeland, and Jack Pyke), footwear, shooting clothing and accessories, dog products, outdoor living and homeware, and farming workwear. It also offers an own-brand John Norris fishing tackle line and gift vouchers.

The business serves individual consumers and SMB hobbyists across five primary use-case segments: fishing enthusiasts, shooting sports participants, dog owners, country lifestyle customers, and the farming community. Distribution combines in-person retail with expert staff advice, nationwide courier delivery (UK Mainland, Scottish Islands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands), and click-and-collect, supported by a 90-day returns policy and tiered delivery pricing. Marketing is multi-channel, with a content journal, email newsletter with first-order discount, social media presence on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and monthly prize draws. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales at unit pricing, with promotional mechanics including seasonal sales, deals of the week, and clearance discounts of up to 70%.

The company is now in its second generation of family ownership, with founder John Norris's children James and Laura Norris running operations. Headcount is reported at 11–50 employees, no external funding or parent company has been disclosed, and revenue is not publicly reported. The technology stack is a standard Shopify storefront with no proprietary AI, no app presence, and no public API or SDK ecosystem.

Name

JOHN NORRIS OF PENRITH LIMITED

Legal name

John Norris of Penrith Ltd

Website

https://johnnorris.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John Norris of Penrith is a family-run UK specialty retailer founded in 1971, selling fishing tackle, country clothing, footwear, shooting gear, dog products, and farming workwear through a flagship Penrith store and Shopify e-commerce platform serving individual consumers and country sports enthusiasts across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Country Sports and Outdoor Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

General Fishing Tackle & Bait Retail (CRAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fishing & Tackle Retail (CRAMABAL)

Keywords

• Country sports retail
• Fishing tackle supplies
• Shooting clothing
• Outdoor footwear
• Farming workwear

Headquarters

HQ city

Penrith

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling country sports and outdoor products including fishing tackle, clothing, footwear, dog products, and outdoor living equipment through both physical retail and e-commerce channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

John Norris of Penrith Limited is a family-run UK retailer selling country sports and outdoor equipment, including fishing tackle (fly rods, reels, flies, waders), shooting and country clothing, footwear, dog products, outdoor living and homeware, and farming workwear, sourced from brands such as Barbour, Le Chameau, Schoffel, Deerhunter, Hoggs of Fife, Aigle, Ridgeline, Seeland, and Jack Pyke. The company operates a flagship physical store in Penrith, Cumbria alongside a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront shipping throughout the UK.

Product overview

John Norris of Penrith Limited is a family-run UK retailer specializing in country sports and outdoor equipment, operating both physical retail and e-commerce channels. The company offers a diverse portfolio of products organized into several core categories: Fishing Tackle (including fly rods, reels, lines, flies, waders, and accessories); Country Clothing for men, ladies, and children (featuring brands such as Barbour, Deerhunter, Schoffel, Hoggs of Fife, Seeland, and Ridgeline); Footwear (wellingtons, walking boots, and shoes from Le Chameau, Aigle, and Barbour); Shooting Clothing and Accessories; Dog Products and Accessories; Outdoor Living and Homeware; and Farming Workwear. The company also sells its own branded John Norris products including fishing lines, fly boxes, and tools. All products are available through seasonal sales, deals of the week, and clearance promotions. The business operates from a physical store in Penrith, Cumbria, and maintains a comprehensive online shopping platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fishing Tackle Comprehensive range of fishing equipment including fly rods, fly reels, fly lines, fishing flies for trout, salmon, sea trout, saltwater and predator species, waders, wading boots, fishing bags, fly tying materials, fly and lure boxes, leaders and tippets, and accessories for fly fishing, spinning, coarse, pike, and saltwater angling.
• Country Clothing Men's, ladies' and children's country clothing including jackets, coats, fleeces, gilets, shirts, sweaters, trousers, breeks, waterproofs, thermals, and accessories from brands such as Barbour, Deerhunter, Schoffel, Hoggs of Fife, Seeland, and Jack Pyke.
• Footwear Outdoor footwear including wellingtons and leather boots, hill and walking boots, and shoes for men, ladies, and children from brands such as Le Chameau, Barbour, Aigle, Hoggs of Fife, and Jack Pyke.
• Shooting Clothing and Accessories Shooting-specific clothing including jackets, smocks, fleeces, trousers, breeks, vests, waistcoats, caps, hats, gloves, ear protection, cartridge bags, gun care products, and gun slips.
• Dog Products Pet accessories including dog beds, mattresses, blankets, bowls, collars, coats, harnesses, leads, toys, treats, and dog walking gear from brands such as Barbour, Ruff & Tumble, Scruffs, and Joules, including gundog training equipment.
• Outdoor Living and Homeware Outdoor gear including coolers, picnicware, flasks, bags, and accessories plus homeware items featuring designs from Sophie Allport and Wrendale Designs.
• Farming Workwear Specialized farming clothing and footwear including workwear, protective clothing, and footwear designed for farm use.
• John Norris Own Brand Products Company's own branded fishing tackle and accessories including fly lines, fly boxes, fishing tools, and select clothing items.
• Gift Vouchers Traditional in-store gift vouchers and e-vouchers for online redemption, available in values starting from £10.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Trespass: UK outdoor and country clothing retailer with extensive physical and online presence. Competes in country lifestyle clothing, footwear, and outdoor gear at more value-oriented price points than John Norris's premium assortment (Barbour, Le Chameau, Schoffel).
• Cotswold Outdoor: UK multi-channel outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment retailer with national store footprint. Overlaps with John Norris in country footwear, waterproofs, and outdoor apparel categories, though it is broader and less specialized in fishing/shooting.

Direct peers

• Farlows of Pall Mall: Long-established UK retailer of fly fishing tackle, shooting clothing, and country sports equipment operating from London with nationwide mail order. Directly comparable to John Norris in assortment (rods, reels, flies, country clothing) and target customer of UK fly anglers and country sports enthusiasts.
• Hardy Fishing (Pure Fishing): Iconic British fly fishing tackle brand owned by Pure Fishing, selling rods, reels, lines, and apparel directly and through UK dealers. Comparable premium fly fishing positioning and is one of the aspirational brands John Norris stocks (e.g., Hardy Cascapedia featured in their prize draws).
• Angling Direct plc: Largest UK specialty fishing tackle retailer with both physical stores and a national e-commerce platform. Competes directly with John Norris across the same core fishing tackle categories and shares the multi-channel, multi-brand specialist model, though at significantly larger scale.
• Game Fishing Direct: UK-based specialist retailer focused on game fishing (salmon, trout, sea trout) tackle, flies, and apparel. Directly comparable core customer overlap with John Norris's salmon and trout fishing categories and similar multi-channel specialist positioning.
• Orvis: US-founded heritage brand and multi-channel retailer specializing in fly fishing, shooting, and country clothing with UK presence. Highly comparable curated assortment of fly tackle, country apparel, and dog products, targeting the same enthusiast customer base as John Norris.
• Fishing Republic (now part of Angling Direct): UK fishing tackle retailer historically competing directly with John Norris in multi-brand fishing tackle and equipment. Now consolidated within Angling Direct, but remains a relevant benchmark for store-and-web fishing retail at national scale.

Emerging players

• Snowbee UK: UK-based fly fishing tackle and accessory manufacturer/retailer with direct-to-consumer channels. Comparable niche focus on fly fishing consumables and gear, though more brand-manufacturer than multi-brand retailer; overlaps with John Norris's owned-brand fly lines and tackle range.
• Le Chameau: Premium French wellington and country footwear brand sold both direct and through UK country retailers including John Norris. Comparable as a premium country footwear brand carried by specialist country sports shops, and a relevant adjacency through shared end-customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/jnofpenrith
• Facebookfacebook.com/flyfishingandshooting
• Instagraminstagram.com/johnnorrisofpenrith
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-norris-of-penrith-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 JOHN NORRIS OF PENRITH LIMITED