Each month, we focus on a specific retail sector and rank retailers against each other using our advanced competitor benchmark feature. We analyze the retailers’ digital footprints and give them a score out of 1000 – it’s something we like to call the “digital credit score”.
The Competitive Benchmarking feature in the ASK BOSCO® platform provides valuable insights, helping you measure your website’s online presence against key competitors. We pull in reliable data from reputable third-party sources, ensuring that the insights you get are accurate and trustworthy. You can effortlessly share valuable competitor insights, confident that your data is backed by reliable, accurate information, without all the manual effort.
This time, we focused on outdoor clothing retailers, a sector gaining popularity among younger generations. As more consumers shift away from nightlife and embrace a ‘wholesome’ lifestyle, including solo adventures and long hikes, outdoor hiking clothing has also become a trendy choice for everyday wear.
What does the industry look like at the start of 2025?
The UK outdoor clothing market remains competitive and is growing. Fuelled by increased interest in hiking, camping, and adventure travel.
However, inflation has impacted consumer spending, leading to increased price sensitivity and demand for discounts.
Brands such as Mountain Warehouse continue to expand, with a focus on affordability and sustainability. They have increased their eco-friendly product lines, such as recycled fabrics.
Go Outdoors, owned by JD Sports, has been expanding its in-store and online presence. They also focus on discount-driven sales and offer exclusive brands such as Peter Storm and North Ridge.
Other brands such as Decathlon, is increasing its market share with affordable, well-reviewed hiking gear under its own brands like Quechua.
Here’s the three key areas that consumers are focused on:
Sustainability
More UK consumers are looking for recycled materials and ethical production.
Value for money
Budget conscious buyers are drawn to retailers offering frequent sales, outlet deals, and bundle discounts.
Performance and style
Younger consumers are embracing outdoor wear as part of urban fashion (gorpcore trend), benefiting retailers selling both functional and trendy clothing options.
How to understand the ASK BOSCO® Index scores
The ASK BOSCO® Index assigns a score between 0 and 1000, with most brands and retailers averaging around 500. A higher score reflects stronger digital performance, making it a useful benchmark for measuring growth. Consider it your digital marketing “credit score”—the closer you get to 1000, the more refined and effective your online strategy becomes.
Who topped the league table?
Go Outdoors
Leading the way at the top of the table is Go Outdoors. Over the past year, they have run several marketing initiatives to enhance customer engagement and expand its brand presence.
In November, Go Outdoors started the rebranding of selected Millets stores to ‘Go Outdoors Express’ formats. This strategy included launching clearance sales with discounts up to 30% to attract customers during the transition.
Go Outdoors recently integrated Volumental’s 3D foot scanning and dynamic gait analysis technology into its York store’s ‘Go Fit Station’. This technology allows customers to receive personalized footwear recommendations, combining both the in-store and digital experience gives their customers better service that is more suited to their needs.
Go Outdoors also launched the KUDOS Run initiative to promote running among its customers. The campaign featured a three-part social media strategy, an in-person event at the York store, and collaborations with high-profile athletes like Jonny Brownlee and Helen Skelton. This initiative aimed to build a community around fitness and the outdoors.
To top off a momentous year, Go Outdoors became the official sponsor of Channel 5 Activities, a feature providing viewers with insights into how weather conditions might impact outdoor plans. This partnership positioned the brand alongside national weather reports, emphasising its role as a facilitator of outdoor activities regardless of weather conditions.
Mountain Warehouse
Hot on Go Outdoors’ heels is Mountain Warehouse. In terms of marketing and online performance, they have expanded their relationship with Metapack to enhance shipping services across the UK and Canada. By integrating Metapack’s Delivery Manager, Delivery Options, and Intelligence solutions, the company is aiming to optimize its shipping operations, offering customers more accurate and convenient delivery choices for consumers.
Just before the Peak season, Mountain Warehouse took part in a webinar with Cegid to discuss strategies for peak retail periods. The focus was on creating a seamless customer experience across all channels and leveraging technology to streamline operations, ensuring readiness for high-demand seasons.
If you’d like to know more about the ASK BOSCO® competitor benchmarking feature and find out where your brand sits on our league table rankings, simply get in touch with us at team@askbosco.com – we’d love to hear from you.
