Scaling the engine behind FORZA: Net World Sports’ digital reset

The privately owned business, employing around 300 people, has built its reputation not on replica shirts or high-street retail but on the equipment that fills parks, schools and club grounds.

Its hybrid audience - everyday consumers alongside institutions - has driven rapid expansion across multiple territories, leaving the company with more than 40 global storefronts and a digital infrastructure under increasing strain. That pressure has only intensified as Net World Sports invests heavily in international growth, including a $40 million expansion into the US with a new warehouse in Columbus, Ohio designed to support faster regional fulfilment.

A partnership with SQLI marks the next phase: a move onto Adobe Commerce Cloud, followed by a headless front end powered by Adobe Commerce Optimizer - a rebuild focused on scalability, speed and the demands of international growth.

Scaling the platform, not just the brand

For Adam Jones, Head of Digital Marketing, the rationale was clear from the outset.

“We were already hitting the limits of scalability,” he says. “Peak periods made that clear - traffic increased and performance suffered. The focus was on building a platform capable of keeping pace with growth.”

Net World Sports is consolidating its product architecture around two core brands - FORZA, increasingly recognised across multiple sports categories, and Vermont. 

Supporting that shift meant rethinking the platform beneath it: a system capable of handling international expansion without adding unnecessary complexity - particularly as newer markets such as the US begin to scale alongside established regions including the UK, Ireland and Australia.

Several platforms formed part of the evaluation, with the final decision shaped by the company’s existing architecture and global footprint.

“We looked at a number of options,” Jones says. “Shopify was viable, but for our setup it would have required significant restructuring. Adobe Commerce allowed us to build on what we already had and move forward more quickly.”

The project has been structured in phases: migration to Adobe Commerce Cloud first, followed by the rollout of a new headless front end later in the year. The sequencing is deliberate - stabilise the infrastructure before reshaping the customer journey.

Performance as the baseline

At its core, the project is about performance: faster sites, stronger conversion and the ability to test and iterate at scale.

“One of the gaps for us has been testing,” Jones says. “This rebuild gives us a platform where performance and experimentation are built in from the start.”

ROI will be measured through operational gains rather than a single global target - improvements in speed, stability and user experience designed to lift conversion as the business scales across regions.

Choosing the right partner

Selecting SQLI came down to balance - a UK-focused team supported by a wider international group.

“We wanted a partner with a strong UK presence but also a wider group behind it,” Jones says. “That balance mattered. And ultimately Adobe’s recommendation carried weight.  If the platform provider says someone can deliver, you listen.”

For Jones, the decision came down to clarity and detail rather than sales language. “I’ve sat through a lot of agency pitches. What stood out here was the depth in the thinking - the level of detail behind the work rather than the sales language around it.” 

The partnership is intended to extend beyond the initial build, with future plans already forming around enhanced B2B functionality and improved customer service capabilities once the new infrastructure is established.

The long view

October marks a milestone, not a conclusion. Internally, the project is framed as the foundation for what comes next - experimentation, optimisation and deeper integration across the business.

“This isn’t about finishing a project and walking away,” Jones says. “It’s about laying the groundwork so we can keep improving - what we launch this year is the starting line, not the finish.”

In a crowded sports retail landscape, Net World Sports is taking a measured approach: fewer brands, stronger infrastructure and a digital strategy built to support sustained growth rather than short-term noise. The transformation may be technical in execution, but its ambition is commercial - to ensure the business can scale without compromise.