Willies

Willies, specialist ice hockey, inline and figure skating retail

Willies is a British retailer dedicated to ice hockey, inline hockey and figure skating equipment. Its catalogue is organised into four main areas —player, goalie, inline/quad and figure— and is complemented by clothing, accessories, training material, bags and a dedicated skate sharpening and repair section. The company presents itself as "the UK's No.1 ice hockey, inline hockey and figure skating store" and states that it is trusted by rinks, clubs and coaches across the United Kingdom.

Player and goalie hockey equipment

For outfield players, the shop lists skates, sticks, helmets, gloves and starter kits, alongside protective gear such as elbow pads, jocks and jills, neck guards, shin guards, shorts and pants, shoulder pads, wrist guards, mouth guards and cages or visors. Skate accessories, stick accessories, helmet accessories, suspenders, garters and straps, and holders and runners complete the range.

The goalie section follows a similar structure: goalie skates, sticks and masks, plus accessories for each of them, and protection including blockers, chest protectors, catchers, knee and thigh guards, leg pads, pants and throat protection. Both player and goalie lines include a custom category covering custom skates, sticks, gloves, leg pads, chest protectors, catchers and blockers.

Inline and quad hockey

The inline and quad area covers inline skates, quad skates, inline sticks, helmets, gloves and starter kits. Its accessories include wheels, bearings and chassis, as well as specific items for inline skates, quad skates, sticks and helmets. Protective equipment mirrors the ice hockey range, with elbow pads, girdles and padded shorts, jocks and jills, neck guards, padded shirts, shin guards, wrist guards, cages or visors, mouth guards and pants. Custom inline skates are also offered.

Figure skating

For figure skaters, Willies stocks figure skates and off-ice skates, figure skating blades, boots, and tights and leggings. The accessories section adds figure skating bags and figure or off-ice training items, while the clothing line includes hoodies and jackets for boys and men, leotards and dresses, protective clothing, tights and leggings, and tops and T-shirts.

Brands in the catalogue

The shop groups part of its offer by manufacturer. In hockey it names Bauer, CCM, True, Sherwood, Warrior, Winnwell, Matrix, Howies and A&R Hockey Accessories. In figure skating it lists Edea, Graf, Intermezzo, Jackson, JIV, John Wilson, MK, Risport and ZÜCA. The site also includes descriptive notes on some of these brands, such as Edea's production near the canals of Venice, Risport's manufacturing in Montebelluna since the 1970s, Intermezzo's origins as a knitwear brand in 1927 and Jackson's link to 1962 World Champion Don Jackson.

Clothing, training and other lines

Beyond equipment, the catalogue includes ice and inline hockey clothing (base layers, player jerseys, goalie jerseys, inline hockey pants and socks), apparel such as caps, hats, hoodies, jackets, tops, T-shirts, tracksuits, shorts, joggers, sunglasses and footwear, and a training section with hockey goals and targets, pucks and balls, sports supplements and recovery products. Bags are divided into player, goalie, stick, skate, puck and other bags, and there is a separate area for coaching and refereeing items, tape, water bottles, tyke and mini sticks and NHL fan merchandise.

Sharpening, repair and fitting services

Willies provides a workshop service that goes beyond retail. The listed services include ice skate sharpening, ice skate profiling, eyelet and rivet replacement, holder fitting and replacement, ice and inline skate conversion, ice skate blade mounting, ice skate baking, boot stretching, and home sharpening and maintenance. A mail-in service is also offered, and the company states that its sharpening and repair services are available worldwide.

The site also highlights a "Perfect-Fit Guarantee" and expert advice as part of its offer, together with price matching, buy now pay later options, worldwide shipping, and fast delivery with easy returns. Standard delivery is advertised as free on orders over £99, subject to the conditions indicated by the retailer.

Retail presence

The company describes itself as operating three stores in the United Kingdom. The main location appearing in the record is Unit 4, Challenge Park, Challenge Cl, Coventry, CV1 5JG.