bd-capital's initial investment into SportPursuit was in June 2021.
SportPursuit was founded in 2011 by a group of friends with a shared passion for activity and the outdoors. They recognised that technology and data were changing the way retailers and consumers interact; they realised that the traditional retail model was evolving, and that understanding better how people behave would allow them to offer members more of what they want and gain their loyalty.
They created a private member experience which offers a compelling assortment of products at the best price in the market. They deliver this by partnering with sports, outdoor and active lifestyle brands to create a differentiated and incremental route to market which helps the brands manage their stock and market to new customers in a brand enhancing way.
In 2021 SportPursuit had the leading position in the UK market, with a fast-growing business in Germany. At the same time, Private Sport Shop was operating a similar business model in France, with some growing operations in Germany, Italy and Spain. In June 2022, just 12 months after bd-capital's initial investment, SportPursuit merged with Private Sport Shop to form Sportscape Group. The merger brought together highly complementary category and product coverage, and created Europe’s most compelling destination for millions of current and prospective members looking for great sports and outdoor products at exceptional value.
The newly combined group created a powerful distribution channel for more than 2,500 existing brand partners with access to an audience of over 24 million sports and outdoor enthusiasts. The merger also combined two unique and highly engaged digital and social communities with over 4 million followers.
Following the merger, Private Sport Shop and SportPursuit continue to operate as consumer-facing brands in their home markets, building on their strong consumer recognition and high repeat rates which have been built over many years.
While the importance of staying active has always been significant, in recent years there has been a substantial structural shift in the way we all view our health and wellbeing, and the role daily exercise and activity plays in our lives. Sportscape offers people the opportunity to find great value product that will allow them to live active and healthy lives, even in the context of a tightening macroeconomic environment.
Technology is also playing an ever-increasing role in consumer-facing industries, and at Sportscape the role of data is central to its effectiveness. No longer do consumer-facing businesses need to guess what people are looking for; through their own proprietary technology, Sportscape recognises behaviours in its customers and tailors its proposition to each individual’s preferences in a highly sophisticated way, leading to improved loyalty and lifetime value, and higher customer satisfaction.
