Founded in 2005 by Mike Kent and Tom Ward, two friends who met at university, Kitlocker started with a simple idea: make it easier for student teams to get access to quality, custom sportswear.
The business began as a university side project – Mike and Tom both played for Sheffield Hallam University volleyball team but struggled to get good quality custom made kit – and so the pair looked at filling the need they required. Over 20 years that has grown into one of the UK's leading teamwear suppliers with turnover expected to exceed £30M this year.
Now, Kitlocker are one of the country’s leading suppliers of sportwear to schools, grassroots clubs, professional clubs across all sports. And in the last year, the business has expanded by taking over esteemed heritage rugby brand SAMURAI and obtaining the license for legacy Italian brand LOTTO.
Mike Kent, co-founder of Kitlocker, said: "We never imagined when we started out that Kitlocker would reach this scale. We just wanted to solve a problem we faced as students. The fact that it's turned into a business serving thousands of teams, employs so many people in Sheffield, and is a business which continues to thrive, and grow is something we’re really proud of."
Tom Ward, co-founder of Kitlocker, said: “Owning a business is never easy, but we’ve always believed in one another, and can attribute much of our success to staying true to our roots, by serving all communities and sports teams who need kit. Mike and I are also still great friends even though we spend almost each and every day with each other – that’s something that I’ve been reflecting on with pride as we reach this milestone and has been a huge part of why we’ve made this a success over 20 years.
“We’ve had challenges along the way, the industry has changed massively since 2005, and we needed to be agile to embrace technology to meet the evolving needs of the sportswear market. From the rise of e-commerce to the growing importance of sustainability and speed of service, we’ve adapted by investing in customisation tech, automation, and now we are exploring AI to speed up other processes in design and production. But at the heart of it all, our business is still a simple one – to support all teams, no matter how big or small, showcase their identity with pride, from grassroots level to professional."
Kitlocker has always been committed to supporting communities which need it most and is proud to support UK initiatives such as Grenfell Athletic FC, War Child, Street League, Football Beyond Borders, the Kitunlocker scheme and locally, working with Cavendish Cancer Care, See It Be It and more.
With over 140 staff based at their Sheffield headquarters, the company continues to grow its footprint across the UK and internationally as it enters its third decade. Looking ahead, the business has a clear focus on innovation and is continuing to invest in new machines and processes which will enable faster, smarter, more creative kit personalisation and design, while continuing to meet customer expectations for speed and flexibility in delivery, all without compromising on quality.