Blacks

Blacks, British outdoor equipment retailer since 1861

Blacks is a chain of stores and e-commerce specialised in clothing, footwear and equipment for outdoor activities. The company traces its origins to Greenock in 1861 and presents itself as a well-established player in the sector in the United Kingdom, with a history that it itself estimates at more than 160 years. Its offer combines leading external brands with a catalogue structure organised by activity and by type of user.

Assortment for men, women and children

The clothing catalogue is divided by gender and age, and includes outerwear and technical layers: waterproof jackets, insulated and down jackets, 3-in-1 models, parkas, gilets and body warmers, softshell jackets, lightweight and packable jackets, as well as ski clothing. The lower body section features walking trousers, waterproof trousers, zip-off trousers, shorts and tights. Midlayers and baselayers are covered with fleeces, sweatshirts, T-shirts and shirts, and swimwear and gift items are also added. The children's section replicates this structure with clothing and footwear for boys and girls, and includes a back-to-school selection with jackets, fleeces, backpacks and lunch boxes.

Technical footwear and accessories

The footwear section brings together mountain and walking boots, approach shoes, running and trail shoes, sandals, flip-flops and wellington boots, with specific versions for men, women and children. Accessories include hats, beanies, gloves, scarves, socks, sunglasses from brands such as Oakley and Ray-Ban, belts and watches, including Garmin models. The store also sells connected activity bands, such as the Garmin CIRQA Smart Band.

Camping, backpacks and mountain equipment

The equipment side covers tents from one to six person and more, as well as family, inflatable, festival, tipi, blackout and refurbished models. Camping accessories are added, such as tent pegs and mallets, gazebos and shelters, airbeds and pumps, folding furniture, hammocks, sleeping bags for different seasons — including children's, double and down models —, stoves, cookware, cool boxes and barbecues. In mountain and climbing, there are harnesses, ropes, carabiners, slings, anchors, crampons, ice axes, helmets and bouldering mats. The transport range includes rucksacks and daysacks, travel bags, baby carriers, bum bags, dry bags and hydration.

Activities covered by the catalogue

The offer is organised around specific disciplines: walking and trekking, trail and road, cycling — with mountain bikes, road bikes, folding bikes, electric bikes and kids' bikes, as well as components, clothing and protection —, climbing, gym and fitness, water sports with wetsuits, swimwear and specific footwear, and festivals. There are also sections for sports nutrition, gels, electrolytes and recovery and massage equipment, along with trekking poles, head torches, torches, compasses, maps and handheld GPS devices.

Brands represented

Blacks states that it works with leading brands in the sector, including Berghaus, Rab, The North Face, Salomon, Scarpa, Vango, adidas Terrex and Osprey. The catalogue also mentions Columbia, Craghoppers, Montane, Mountain Equipment, Merrell, Mammut, Petzl, Fjällräven, Helinox, Jetboil, MSR, Sea to Summit, Stanley, YETI, Coleman, Eurohike, Kampa, Dometic, Thule, Lowe Alpine, Deuter, Keen, La Sportiva, Meindl, Nikwax, Paramo, Snow Peak, Sweaty Betty, Under Armour, Nike, Oakley, Ray-Ban, Garmin, Bleubird, Bliz, Cotopaxi, Haglöfs, Mountain Peak, OEX, Sealskinz, Trailberg and Jack Wolfskin. In technical materials, technologies such as GORE-TEX and DryVent are cited.

Online shopping and service conditions

The company operates mainly through e-commerce, with free standard delivery on orders over £95 and a next-day delivery service. The site includes a store locator and a customer service channel, and publishes its own editorial content, such as guides on trail running, activity bands and time in nature. The catalogue also shows occasional discounts on clothing and footwear from the brands distributed.