Founded in 1974, the company originated in the Cotswolds, and was based out of a garage next to the Cotswold Water Park, from which the founders sold basic camping accessories. Cotswold Outdoor is the recommended retailer for the National Trust and the Ramblers, among other outdoor groups. Cotswold Outdoor has 79 stores[2] across the United Kingdom, an e-commerce website and a mail order service selling outdoor clothing, camping & climbing equipment, travel & active clothing, hiking boots and adventure racing gear.
On the 26th of April 2019, Outdoor and Cycle Concepts Limited applied for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) following increased pre-tax losses in a struggling UK retail environment.
Outdoor & Cycle Concepts chief executive Greg Nieuwenhuys resigned in March 2019. Jose Ramon Finch Castro joined the board on 1 April 2019 as Managing Director. Following the news of the CVA He said: “The future of O&CC is in our hands and it will require hard work, commitment, sacrifices and a strong focus on our day-to-day improvements.” [3]
Snow and Rock is a chain of skiing and mountaineering outlets.[4] It was founded in the early 1980s by Mike Browne, who borrowed £60,000 from the bank through collateralizing his house.[5] Browne started the original Snow and Rock outlet on Kensington High Street in London.[5] By 2001, there were eight Snow and Rock locations that collectively had net sales of £22million per year.[5] In 2004, Andrew Brownsword acquired Snow and Rock, which had 11 UK stores.[6] Following the acquisition, Browne exited the company.[6] In 2010, Brownsword sold Snow and Rock to LGV Capital, Legal & General's private equity subsidiary.[7] At the time of the acquisition, Snow and Rock had 35 locations, employed 450, had £65 in revenue the previous year, and owned Cycle Surgery and Runners Need.[7][8] In 2015, the PAI Partners-owned AS Adventure Group, which owns Cotswold Outdoor, acquired Snow and Rock, Cycle Surgery, and Runners Need, which at the time had 46 locations.[1] In November 2015, Cotswold Outdoor, Snow and Rock, Cycle Surgery, and Runners Need became "one single legal entity called Outdoor and Cycle Concepts".[9]
