Nuneaton leisure business eyes up expansion with new premises

By Nicky Godding

15 March 2021

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A family-owned leisure company in Nuneaton, Purely Outdoors, has secured a six-figure funding package from NatWest to purchase new premises and create its first showroom.

Purely Outdoors, an online retailer selling outdoor and leisure equipment, has used the £697,500 finance to purchase an additional three units at its warehouse base on Holman Way in Nuneaton, bringing its total warehouse space to 24,000 sq. ft.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the rise in staycations, the business has seen unprecedented levels of demand, with sales doubling in 2020 from prior year levels.

With an extra 18,000 sq. ft. of space, the business also plans to make the move from an online-only model and launch a showroom where customers can browse the products before purchasing online.

Work has started on stripping back the showroom space with plans to begin construction in 2021. Once complete, the showroom will showcase popular leisure equipment including tents, caravan and motorhome awnings and other accessories for outdoor activities.

Purely Outdoors was launched by Gary Wainwright in 2014 as on online store selling premium leisure brands for outdoor holidays and activities. The business has grown steadily since its inception and now employs more than 20 people including Gary’s wife and sons.

Gary, Director of Purely Outdoors, said: “This year has been a whirlwind for Purely Outdoors. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic we were unsure of how our business would be impacted, however it was quickly apparent that there was a huge demand for outdoor equipment, and we saw a surge in sales.

“Thanks to NatWest we were able to quickly purchase the additional space we needed to meet demand and we are now adapting the new unit to create our first showroom which will be up and running next year.”

Michael Asher, Senior Relationship Manager at NatWest, said: “Gary and his team have worked tremendously hard over the summer to fulfil the sharp rise in website orders and still offer exceptional customer service. Now that work has begun on the new showroom, we can’t wait for the launch and to see the space in action.”

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.