Immutable Law of Great Product
Now is a very exciting time to be a designer. The best time ever. We have an appreciation of the consequences of our actions like no other generation. Design is circular. Technologies and production methods are evolving at an incredible pace.
The immutable law of great product is unchanged.
Performance materials
Great products are made from great materials. We excel at finding lower impact fabrics and materials that are the right tool for the job from valley floor to mountain top.
Our design team works directly with the world’s best mills and component brands. So we can bring you innovative fabrics quicker than any other brand.
Function
The gear you love the most, the gear you use year-in year-out is ultimately the best for the planet.
That’s our design philosophy. Make durable gear that will last, that you’ll take out and make treasurable moments. Gear you’ll love for longer.
Intelligent Design
Our designers work directly with our customers, our stores, organisations such as Mountain Rescue and outdoor education providers. We’re enthusiasts. Product is in our DNA.
Because we are so fast to market and buy in small batches, we innovate fast. Make it better is our mantra.
People and Planet Before Profit
A landmark moment is to join the B Corp movement. We are independently assessed against the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Our score is class leading against both an all-business average and our peer group which is a huge achievement for our first assessment.
B Corp is the real deal. We’re the only bike brand in Europe to be a Certified B Corp and only the second bike brand in the world. We are amongst a handful of technical outdoor brands – the most well known being Patagonia and we are delighted to join their ranks.
Leave No Trace is our mantra in the outdoors. And be gentle is our belief as a business with our global footprint.
This year we have shown how we put people and planet before profit. We:
• Pivoted Alpkit Foundation to directly support food projects in lockdown. Alpkit Foundation has now awarded £300,000 to 900 projects involving over 15,000 people.
• Increased our pay rates for all, in the midst of lockdown, and become formally recognised as a living wage foundation employer.
• Reduced our carbon intensity and offset Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gases to be carbon neutral.
In 2021 we will:
• Catch up, when we can travel again, on our program of personal environmental reviews at our mills and factories including deeper life cycle analysis.
• Restart our School Of Adventure events program for a more accessible and inclusive outdoors with a range of open courses to build outdoor skills and confidence.
• Relaunch our team adventure training and face-to-face training programs to develop our careers
We don’t have all the answers, we know we’re not perfect. And we know we only exist because you choose to buy from us.
Great businesses combine innovative products, fair prices, exceptional service with responsibility.
We have faith that our small steps and fundamental belief in nature will help us build a truly sustainable business.
David Hanney Chief Exec
World Class Makers
We work with the world’s best factories and use the latest production methods and techniques.
We are highly selective and partner with factories that share our ethos and standards. We visit them personally and look out for each other. When the pandemic hit we worked through issues together and cancelled no orders.
Gear You’ll Love For Longer
All our gear has a clear purpose, a technical benefit and as much cross-over use as possible.
That way you need fewer products in your wardrobe.
Our range is smaller, our lead times are faster and as we only sell direct, our price-tags are friendlier.
Our gear works harder and costs less.
Karen’s Journey to Finance Director
joined Alpkit 4 years ago as financial controller and became the finance director last summer and what an exciting 4 years it has been. In this time period we’ve more than doubled our top line orders, opened 4 stores, implemented new IT systems, grown our international sales and expanded our finance and HR teams. It’s been a busy few years!
I’ve had the opportunity to build and develop the finance and HR functions as the business has grown and work closely with the other departments within the company. The range of what we do from online retailing, our physical stores, to our UK manufacturing base, annual Big Shakeout Festival, and our Alpkit Foundation charity mean there are a huge range of finance skills required for my role. One of the challenges is the ability to work at a high level of granularity, whilst also being able to step back and see the bigger picture, in order to contribute effectively to strategic decision making. As well as the on-the-job experience, which has included being involved in raising finance to fund our growth and being part of our hugely successful Crowdcube
investment fundraise, I’ve also benefitted from our leadership development programme and worked closely with the directors, founders and leadership team, all of whom I have learnt a lot from over the years. Also as the mother of two young children, the flexibility and support have been given has allowed me to progress in my career whilst ensuring have a work life balance that is sustainable.
Being part of the Alpkit family over the last 4 years has been truly special to me. We’re building a company that we can be extremely proud of, which stays true to it’s founding principles, and has our sustainability values embedded in everything that we do day to day.
People and Planet
Give Back
We use goose and duck down in our clothing and sleeping bags and only use recycled or RDS certified down. We use animal products
We use merino wool and lambswool in clothing and only use non-mulesed wool.
We use goat skin leather in some of our gloves. We prohibit the use of exotic animal skins in our products.
Good for the mind, the body and soul. Yep, getting outdoors and being in beautiful places really is amazing. Everyone should have that chance too.
Alpkit Foundation is the charity that helps people get outside. Overcoming obstacles to Go Nice Places Do Good Things.
We support ordinary people doing extraordinary things to make the world a better place.
We’ve helped over 900 projects with £300,000 given to education, environment, diversity, mental health and participation projects. That’s over 15,000 people helped altogether.
It’s humbling to see the effect that this has. The Alpkit Foundation is a thank you from us to all our customers as we know we would not be here without you.
Apply or donate at alpkit.com/foundation
Corp
Respect our environment
Body Shop, Cotopaxi, Kathmandu, Finisterre, Picture Organic Clothing, Allbirds and World of Books.
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Last year with the help of the Alpkit Foundation Two’s Company arranged two joyful, liberating days out tandem riding for 16 visually-impaired and disabled people, completely free of charge. The young riders enjoyed their trip to Grimsbury Farm to visit the animals, and a more challenging route to Bitton on the River Avon trail.
“It was a long ride for his first ride – but he was happy, relaxed, and had a wonderful time. I can see that he will gain confidence and social skills from going on the rides, and they are also great exercise” – Chris’s dad
“These rides gave the young ‘back riders’ the chance to get out and exercise in nature as part of a friendly group, with the rides helping them feel happier, healthier and more connected to their communities, and they love it!”
“I think he enjoys the rides as it makes him independent. He is doing something on his own, but with security.” Mary, Tom’s carer
These joyous rides can also help the mum or dad of these children, who may be lacking a proper support network to help them or their child:
“You wouldn’t recognise him from the person he was when he started! Dropping Nathan off for a full day is amazing because it gives me respite. I’m a full time carer - this is just so rare for me. My family isn’t in this country, so it’s hard…” – Nathan’s mum
“My daughter has learning disabilities. The tandem rides are the only way she can manage cycling as she doesn’t have the mental capacity to make the quick decisions that cycling requires. She always looks forward to it and it’s nice to see her pink cheeks when she gets home. She is very happy being part of the group” – Annie’s mum
Read more about the people and projects that Alpkit Foundation have supported at:
Facebook.com/alpkitfoundation Alpkit.com/foundation
