Mountain Warehouse launches marketplace for outdoor sector

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 25, 2022

Outdoor retailer Mountain Warehouse is the latest retail name to enter the marketplace channel with it launching a new marketplace on its webstore this week. 

Its aim is to create a “one-stop-shop” for branded outdoor clothing and equipment. The new offer uses the Mirakl software platform.

Brands including Nike, Slazenger, Dotty Dungarees, Canterbury and Donna Cycling, among others, are already on board and the retailer is actively targeting other labels to join the line-up.

As well as adult outdoor clothing, the marketplace includes kidswear, and specialist categories like cycling, along with outdoor living and garden products, plus a pets offering.

The attraction for those selling via the marketplace will be 0.6 million visitors to the site every week, 1.7 million online active customers, and an 80% increase in webstore sales over the past two years..

Mountain warehouse said individual sellers are responsible for shipping and delivery, but it will undertake first-line customer care itself and the checkout process will see shoppers making just one payment for any basket of main webstore and marketplace goods.

The company has been expanding in recent periods, including adding to its own family of brands. Last year it acquired lifestyle label Animal — which it has relaunched just this month — while it launched athleisure brand Active People last month too.

The retailer called the marketplace opening a “big step forward”, 17 years after it first launched its UK webstore.

Digital chief Ed Whatmore said: “Our mission is to help everyone to enjoy the great outdoors. One way to do this is to keep expanding and evolving the range of products we’re able to offer our customers, especially online.

“The Marketplace is a fantastic way for us to do this and we’re excited about the potential it brings. It’s great to see some market leaders joining us online and new product areas will help deepen and complement our existing customer proposition.”