Portfolio
Nature of Business
Sheffield-based GO Outdoors is the UK's largest specialist retailer of camping equipment, tents, outdoor clothing and footwear. Since its establishment in 1998, the company has grown to 40 retail outlets across the UK with more than 1300 employees. In 2011 GO Outdoors realised a turnover of over £170m.
The management team has delivered rapid growth for GO Outdoors in recent years, through a strategy of locating its stores in large out-of-town locations offering an authoritative range of product at highly competitive prices. The company plans to expand to 70 outlets over the next four years.
Investment Overview
We invested £28m for a minority stake in GO Outdoors in April 2011. We are working with the GO Outdoors management team to drive growth through its differentiated business model. This includes further new store rollouts, the maturing of the large number of recently opened stores and a growing e-commerce business, to take market share and create a 'category killing' retailer.
3i has also been active in supporting investment in the business's infrastructure. In particular, our experience in supply chain transformation and our network in Asia has helped GO Outdoors establish an in-house own brand capability and a sourcing office in Shanghai.
Through our Business Leaders Network the management team has been strengthened by appointing Colin Holmes as Chairman. Colin joins after a long and successful career at Tesco, where he led fast expansion of the superstore and convenience stores businesses, before delivering transformational change in the supply chain for fresh produce. Justin Maltz and David Whileman, both of 3i, have joined the board.