A six-figure investment is helping The Outpost, a Sheffield-based independent tabletop and miniature wargaming specialist retailer, to grow its presence in Yorkshire.
Funding from NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, which is managed by FW Capital and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) will create two new jobs, increasing The Outpost’s team to seven people. The cash injection is also supporting the increase of its stock holdings to meet rising consumer demand for tabletop games.
The Outpost was started in 2008 by managing director Chris Murdoch, working from his home selling tabletop games products via eBay. Today the business is a successful independent gaming online and store retailer of tabletop games. The Outpost has a strong focus on miniature wargaming including the popular Warhammer 40,000 as well as stocking specific board and card games including Star Wars and Marvel.
The Outpost has a Sheffield store located in Neepsend which stocks a wide variety of products from the leading brands in tabletop gaming and some lesser known ranges too. It can also host gaming events and tournaments during store opening hours, with capacity of up to 64 players.
Alex Gent, senior investment executive, facilitated the investment funding for The Outpost and was introduced to the business by Patrick Abel from Corporate Finance firm Hart Shaw who supported the business during the investment process.
Chris Murdoch Managing Director, Outpost said: “It’s fantastic that FW Capital has seen the value in what we’re building here at The Outpost and helped us to secure the finance needed to support our growth ambitions. Tabletop wargaming is increasing in popularity and having access to working capital is helping us to expand the range of products we stock and services available in our Sheffield store and online.
“We’ve enjoyed significant growth since the business was first launched and our success continued during the pandemic thanks to our online sales. Our desire to help however we could during lockdown and the drive of our team was a real testament to their dedication. The continued popularity of tabletop wargaming has seen demand rise across our retail platforms and we were seeking funding to support our next stage of growth. The opportunity to springboard our business to the next stage was something we had been seeking and when we were introduced to FW Capital it seemed like a dream come true. Alex Gent at FW Capital has been exceptional. She was always on hand when I needed to talk to her and had the best interests of The Outpost at heart to help ensure we secured the right investment to support our expansion.”
Alex Gent, Senior Investment Executive at FW Capital, said: “We’ve some fantastic businesses in this region and The Outpost is a great example of how having access to the right finance can make a real difference. Chris has worked hard to build The Outpost, and its growth is a real testament to that. The Outpost operates in an exciting, niche market and is focused on expanding its presence across Yorkshire. The capital in place will help to drive this, creating new jobs and strengthening its stock holdings to better meet the needs of its customers.”
Patrick Abel, Corporate Finance Partner at Hart Shaw said: “We're delighted to be able to support The Outpost in securing the funding necessary to meet their growth ambitions. As always, we’ve enjoyed working with Alex and the team at FW Capital who ensured the smooth completion of the funding.”
FW Capital provides loans of £100,000 to £750,000 to businesses based in the NPIF region with a focus on the North West, Cumbria and Tees Valley.
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
