Outdoor product sales climb at online retailer

Shipley-based retailer, SportsShoes.com, has reported a 13% year-on-year increase in outdoor product sales across its UK and international websites for the first six months of its financial year beginning on 1 March 2024.

The £90m turnover online outdoor gear, running shoes and running clothing retailer also secured 7,000 new customers for its outdoor categories in the same period, representing 13% year-on-year growth.

 The total number of unique outdoor customer orders in the first half of the financial year increased 11% from the first six months of the previous year to 120,000.

Established in 1982, SportsShoes.com offers customers more than 17,000 products from 150 global running and outdoor brands.

The business partly attributes growth in its outdoor sales to seasonal conditions driving more customers to purchase waterproof footwear and apparel.

Managing director, Brett Bannister, said: “The outdoor market represents a core opportunity for us as we target new growth opportunities in the UK and overseas.

“As we do with our running and athlete communities, we always look at ways we can complement and excite our established online presence with physical brand activations.

“Underpinning this is our commitment to offering an amazing product range from leading brands and continual efforts to ensure provide a best-in-class online purchasing experience.”

 Supporting the outdoor category growth is the increased capabilities of the re-platformed company website.

 The project is part of a £4.6m investment over the last three years by retailer in its people, processes, technologies and facilities.

Tom Cain, outdoor category buyer, added: “With our outdoor customers, it is essential they have an opportunity to access the best available products suitable for their individual needs.

“This has driven our performance in the outdoor market place, and we look forward to working with our brand partners to maintain this and grow our established online presence.”

 In the first half of the year, the business also reported a 22% increase in its international sales with 75,000 new customers acquired in the same period, representing a 17% year-on-year growth.

Alongside its international websites for France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the retailer is targeting further growth in new overseas markets including Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Nordics.