Michelmores advises PenCarrie on acquisition of The Outdoors Company

Two backpackers hiking along a grassy coastal cliff at sunset.

Published November 2nd 2026

Authors

Henry Taylor

Chris Smedley

Harry Jones

Michelmores has advised leading UK clothing distributor PenCarrie on its acquisition of The Outdoors Company, a specialist supplier of premium outdoor clothing and accessories to the corporate market.

The acquisition brings together two established businesses in the clothing and apparel sector and will support PenCarrie’s continued growth, while providing The Outdoors Company with access to PenCarrie’s industry experience and expertise as it looks to accelerate its growth across the UK and Europe.

Founded in 2007 by Mark Dix and Paul Morley-Smith, The Outdoors Company supplies more than 700 customers across the UK and Europe and works with leading outdoor brands including The North Face, Columbia, Rab, Patagonia and Helly Hansen. The business also provides embroidery and printing services to its customers.

The Outdoors Company will continue to trade under its existing name from its Cheshire base, led by Mark Dix and Paul Morley-Smith and its existing team.

The Michelmores team advising PenCarrie was led by Corporate Partner Henry Taylor and Managing Associate Chris Smedley, alongside Associate Harry Jones. Specialist advice was provided by Partner Karen Williams and Associate Noah Jefferies (Banking), Cathy Bryant (Tax), Partner David Thompson and Associate Kate Julian (Commercial), Senior Associate Henry Cross (Employment) and Christian Goddard (Real Estate).

Chris Smedley commented:

“We were delighted to advise PenCarrie on this acquisition and to continue Michelmores’ support for the business. The Outdoors Company is a well-established business with a strong reputation in its market, and its proposition is highly complementary to PenCarrie’s.

“Bringing together specialists from across Michelmores enabled us to provide joined-up, commercial support across all aspects of the transaction and work closely with the PenCarrie team to deliver the acquisition. It was a pleasure working with the PenCarrie team once again and we wish both businesses every success for the future.”

Nicci Gratwicke, Chair and Owner of PenCarrie, added:

“The Michelmores team provided clear, pragmatic and commercial advice throughout the transaction. Henry, Chris and the wider team took the time to understand our business and that of The Outdoors Company and what we wanted to achieve during this transaction, bringing in expertise from across the Firm.

“We really valued their responsive and collaborative approach throughout the process.”

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