2025 Outdoor Retail Market Report

The outdoor retail sector has seen steady growth this year, with overall online visibility climbing by 10%. While the industry as a whole is heading in the right direction, a few standout brands have blazed the trail and secured top positions in the digital landscape.
Here are the current front-runners in the outdoor retail space:
1. decathlon.co.uk
2. gooutdoors.co.uk
3. thenorthface.co.uk
4. cotswoldoutdoor.com
5. trespass.com
6. regatta.com
7. uk.stanley1913.com
8. berghaus.com
9. blacks.co.uk
10. millets.co.uk

Some outdoor retail brands have seen visibility spikes that are hard to overlook. One of the most notable uplifts was achieved by eider.com, which increased a staggering 769% in search visibility. Also experiencing a celebration-worthy rise, primusequipment.co.uk made serious headway with a 370% uplift. These brands aren’t just showing up, they’re mapping out what smart digital strategy looks like in the outdoor retail space.

Our top 5 winners are:

1. decathlon.co.uk (+21%)
2. gooutdoors.co.uk (+23%)
3. cotswoldoutdoor.com (+13%)
4. uk.stanley1913.com (+22%)
5. passenger-clothing.com (+55%)

On the other hand, some brands saw the opposite effect, experiencing disappointing declines in visibility over the year.
The five brands that took the biggest hits this year are:

1. blacks.co.uk (-25%)
2. eu.patagonia.com (-16%)
3. alpinetrek.co.uk (-15%)
4. fjallraven.com (-17%)
5. napapijri.co.uk (-37%)

Not where you want to be in the rankings? Don’t stress. Our market report is packed with actionable insights and SEO tips to help you get back on track, boost visibility, and better connect with your audience.

If you’re looking to move up in the rankings, like any great adventure, it starts with the right gear - in this case, keywords. In our Outdoor Retail Report, we’ve split keyword strategy into two essential routes: high-competition terms and opportunity.

High-competition keywords pull in a lot of search traffic, but ranking for them is no walk in the park. Terms like “camping shops near me” and “camping equipment” are at the peak, with competitiveness scores of 43 and 30.

Then there are the opportunity keywords. They don’t have the same headline-grabbing volumes, but they offer real ranking potential, especially if they match your niche. Think terms like “walking backpack” (score: 6) and “trekking poles” (score: 4). They’re targeted, relevant, and far easier to conquer.

Need help identifying the keywords your brand should be targeting? Our report highlights the most promising keywords for outdoor retail brands, along with expert advice on how to weave them into your SEO strategy. For local-specific tactics, check out our Local SEO Cheat Sheet .

A strong social presence can take an outdoor brand from niche to essential. Whether it’s practical product demos or awe-inducing content from real-world explorers, smart social strategy helps brands stay front of mind and in-feed, helping build a community that sticks around.

We applied our own scoring system to measure just how well brands are performing on social, giving each one an 'owned social score' based on their presence across key platforms.

In first place is thenorthface.co.uk, scoring an impressive 14722 thanks to authentic, adventure-fuelled influencer content and practical posts that showcase their gear in real-world conditions. Close behind is moncler.com, with a score of 13100, leaning into sleek, style-driven visuals that blend outdoor function with fashion-forward appeal.

Curious how your brand stacks up? Download the full Outdoor Retail Market Report to see who’s owning the social space, and get expert tips on how to level up your strategy.

When it comes to search rankings, trust is just as crucial as relevance. That’s why search engines lean toward brands that show authority, expertise, and trustworthiness (EEAT). In the outdoor retail world, where gear needs to perform and service needs to deliver, solid reviews make a real difference, both for customers and for algorithms.

To find out which brands are getting it right, we analysed Trustpilot ratings to uncover the names customers have the most faith in. These are the outdoor retailers delivering not just quality products, but standout customer experiences too.

Top 10 most trusted outdoor brands:

1. gooutdoors.co.uk
2. millets.co.uk
3. blacks.co.uk
4. gb.ecco.com
5. sportpursuit.com
6. passenger-clothing.com
7. saltrock.com
8. winfieldsoutdoors.co.uk
9. montane.com
10. ellis-brigham.com

A well-presented site means nothing if it doesn’t load fast. Whether they’re looking for hiking boots on mobile or browsing tents on desktop, today’s outdoor shoppers expect a seamless experience. If your site drags its feet, don’t be surprised when bounce rates climb and conversions stall.

We’ve benchmarked the fastest-loading sites in the outdoor retail space to spotlight the brands delivering a friction-free experience.

Here are the fastest sites in the outdoor retail sector:

1. outdoorworlddirect.co.uk
2. alpinetrek.co.uk
3. grisport.co.uk
4. ultimateoutdoors.com
5. sportpursuit.com
6. millets.co.uk
7. snowleader.co.uk
8. columbiasportswear.co.uk
9. scarpa.co.uk
10. decathlon.co.uk

Want more detail on how your outdoor brand is doing in the world of SEO, and how to push further up the rankings?

Download the full 2025 Outdoor Retail Market Report for in-depth visibility scores, keyword opportunities, and expert insights to help sharpen your digital strategy.

Or, speak to our SEO team for a personalised audit and discover how to get your brand in front of more relevant customers.