Bergfreunde

Bergfreunde was founded in 2006 in Kirchentellinsfurt, a small town near Tübingen in southwestern Germany, as an online retailer specializing in mountain and outdoor sports equipment — climbing, mountaineering and hiking gear rather than general sportswear. The company built its catalog into one of the larger independent outdoor assortments in Europe, eventually carrying around 40,000 products from more than 900 brands, aimed at customers ranging from casual hikers to expedition mountaineers. Operating out of Kirchentellinsfurt and a second site in nearby Ergenzingen, Bergfreunde grew into one of the leading premium outdoor e-commerce retailers on the continent, running country-specific online shops that let it sell across roughly a dozen European markets rather than a single national storefront. The business changed hands twice as it scaled: American outdoor retailer Backcountry.com acquired Bergfreunde in December 2013, folding the German company into its international operations, and a decade later, in November 2023, French sporting-goods group Decathlon acquired Bergfreunde, bringing the specialist under a much larger multi-sport retail parent. Through both ownership changes, Bergfreunde has continued operating under its own name and website rather than being absorbed into its parent's branding, maintaining its position as a dedicated mountain-sports retailer within a larger corporate structure.