A British outdoor clothing and equipment retailer with its own-brand range sold through high street shops, outlet centres and online.
Mountain Warehouse sells outdoor clothing and equipment for walking, camping, skiing, cycling, running and fitness. Its founder, Mark Neale, describes it as selling everyday outdoor wear for all the family rather than highly technical mountaineering kit. Its product range has grown to include activewear, womenswear and a summer shop, and most of what it sells is its own brand.
We did not find a formal mission statement. In a retail trade interview, Neale put the value in simple terms: good outdoor gear at everyday prices, with new product categories added over time. He said that product development is the area that will make the biggest difference, and that his office is on the same floor as the product development team so that staff and suppliers can drop in to show new products. He also said pressure from customers and staff had pushed the company to cut plastic packaging.
Mountain Warehouse was founded on 11 August 1997 by Mark Neale, who started with £40,000 and one shop in Swindon, according to a Scotsman interview. It is headquartered in Victoria, London. In the UK it trades from high streets, outlet centres and former Woolworths sites in places such as Fort William, St Ives and Buxton, and its largest UK store opened in Truro in March 2024. It also has stores in Ireland, continental Europe, Canada and the US. Store counts differ between sources, from over 330 to over 400, so check the current figure.
Neale started his career as a strategy consultant after studying physics at Oxford, then tried roller blades, toys and greeting cards before Mountain Warehouse became his most successful business. He says the company has a small marketing budget and grows through word of mouth and online. Its culture is described as open door and product focused. The company later added the fashion brand Animal in 2021. In the Scotsman interview Neale said it took ten years to become an overnight success, that he first made money in 2007, and that he prefers practical learning: you push at doors that are half open and learn from your mistakes. He said he is not a big believer in business platitudes. Its target customer is people who like walking the dog, watching the kids play sport and gardening, and it looks for sites in tourist towns, market towns and cathedral cities. In 2015 the company had more than 20 shops in Scotland, including Aviemore, Edinburgh, Fort William and Inverness (interview dated 2015).
The company employs store teams, product designers and developers, buyers, e-commerce and marketing teams, supply chain staff and head office colleagues. In 2019 Neale said there were 50 vacancies at head office. We did not find a current headcount or a published statement of values.
Website: www.mountainwarehouse.com
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