Hire calendar & bookings
Tents, swags, sleeping bags, fridges and kayaks booked by unit online or at the counter with pickup and return times.
Outdoor store software: gear hire, POS sync & online sales
Outdoor stores: hire it, try it, buy it. Gear hire and retail together.
Hire tents live in a paper diary, returns get a quick glance at the counter and the online store swears you've got three of a pack that sold on Saturday. We build hire, retail and online systems for outdoor stores that all talk to each other. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for outdoor gear hire software that works with your shop?
An outdoor store is really two businesses sharing one floor. There's the retail side selling boots, packs and stoves. Then there's the hire side lending out tents, swags, sleeping bags and fridges to families who want to try camping before they spend two grand on it. Most stores run hire on a diary or a spreadsheet beside the POS. That's how the same tent gets promised to two families for Easter.
Wollopit builds custom software for outdoor and camping stores around how your shop actually runs. Hire gear gets a proper calendar with condition photos out and back. Returned gear goes into a cleaning and drying queue before it can be booked again. Hire fees can turn into credit towards buying the real thing. Stock stays matched between the counter and the website. We connect the POS and online store you already use, then host and look after the lot.
01The problems
What we hear from outdoor stores
Does your outdoor store have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most outdoor stores we talk to know their gear inside out. It's the diary, the clipboard and the website stock count that let them down when school holidays hit.
- The problemHire runs on a paper diaryThe same 6-person tent gets promised to two families for the long weekend. Nobody finds out until pickup day.How we fix itA hire calendar that knows every item by unit. Book online or at the counter and double bookings simply can't happen.
- The problemDamage turns into an argumentA tent comes back with a torn fly and the hirer swears it was like that when they got it.How we fix itCheck-out and return records with photos both ways, signed on a tablet. Damage charges are backed by the pictures.
- The problemWet gear goes straight back on the shelfA tent packed up damp after a rainy weekend gets hired out again a week later covered in mould.How we fix itReturns go into a clean and dry queue. Gear can't be booked again until a staff member signs it off as ready.
- The problemBonds taken in cash or on trustBonds go in an envelope or don't get taken at all. Chasing a missing gas lantern means awkward phone calls.How we fix itCard bonds held at booking, ID captured once and released automatically when the return is checked in.
- The problemHirers buy their gear somewhere elseA family loves the hired tent then buys the same one online for twenty bucks less.How we fix itHire credit that counts towards buying the same gear in store, offered automatically when they return it.
- The problemCustomers forget half the gearThey turn up at the campsite without pegs, a mallet or a gas canister. Then they ring you from the car park.How we fix itTrip checklists by trip type, sent with every hire and every big purchase, with the missing bits one tap from the cart.
- The problemOnline stock is wrongThe website shows two of a hiking pack that sold at the counter on Saturday morning.How we fix itYour POS and online store share one stock count, so what's on the shelf is what's on the website.
- The problemWorkshops booked by phoneNavigation, first aid and beginner hiking sessions run off a sign-up sheet on the counter.How we fix itOnline class bookings with capacity limits, payments, reminders and attendee lists on any phone.
- The problemBoot fittings with no bookingSomeone wants a proper boot fitting at the same time as the Saturday rush. Everyone ends up waiting.How we fix itBookable fitting appointments so your best fitter has time blocked out and the customer knows when to come in.
- The problemRepairs tracked in a notebookZip repairs, stove services and tent patching sit in the back room with a sticky note and no due date.How we fix itRepair tickets with photos, quotes, status updates by SMS and a pickup reminder when the job's done.
- The problemBulky orders shipped the slow wayOnline orders for swags and gazebos get labels typed out by hand and tracking emailed one at a time.How we fix itOrders flow into StarShipIt or Australia Post with labels printed in a click and tracking sent on its own.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for outdoor stores. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Check-out & return records
Photos and condition notes both ways, item checklists and a signature on a tablet for every hire.
Clean, dry & repair queue
Returned gear tracked through cleaning, drying and repairs. Not bookable until it's signed off as ready.
Bonds, ID & agreements
Card bonds held by Stripe, ID captured once and hire terms signed online before pickup.
Hire-to-buy credit
Hire fees counted towards buying the same gear, offered automatically when the hire comes back.
Camping packs & bundles
A family camping kit or a hiking starter pack booked as one bundle with every item tracked inside it.
Trip checklists
Gear lists for car camping, multi-day hikes, 4WD trips and beach weekends with missing items ready to add to cart.
POS & online stock sync
One stock count across Lightspeed, Square or Shopify POS and your online store.
Online store & click and collect
Retail and hire in one checkout with Afterpay, click and collect and local delivery for the big stuff.
Shipping & labels
Orders into StarShipIt, Australia Post or Sendle with labels in a click and tracking sent automatically.
Workshops & classes
Navigation, first aid, hiking and gear care classes booked and paid online with reminders.
Fitting appointments
Boot and pack fittings booked into your fitter's calendar so the Saturday rush doesn't swallow them.
Repairs & servicing
Repair tickets with photos, quotes and SMS updates when the stove or tent is ready to collect.
Ex-hire sales
Retired hire gear listed with its hire history and condition photos so it sells at a fair price.
Customer lists & emails
Hirers and buyers in one list for Klaviyo or Mailchimp, with trip tips and season-opening offers.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole outdoor store, on one system.
These are the systems outdoor stores ask us about most. Each one works on its own. They get properly clever when they're joined up.
Gear hire
Every tent, swag and fridge on one calendar.
Your hire gear gets tracked unit by unit so you know exactly what's out, what's due back and what's free for the long weekend. Customers book online with a card bond and staff see the same calendar at the counter.
- Book by unit, not just by product
- Online and counter bookings together
- Pickup and return time slots
- Card bonds held and released automatically
- Hire terms signed before pickup
- Bundles like a family camping kit
- Peak pricing for school holidays
- Overdue return reminders by SMS
- Utilisation per item and per season
Condition & turnaround
Photos out, photos back. No more arguments.
Every hire goes out with condition photos and a signed checklist then comes back through the same check. Damage gets noted on the spot. Wet or dirty gear goes into a clean and dry queue so it never goes back out mouldy.
- Condition photos at check-out
- Matching photos at return
- Item checklists: poles, pegs, fly
- Signature on a tablet
- Damage notes and charges against the bond
- Clean and dry queue for returns
- Repair jobs raised from a return
- Gear blocked until signed off
- Full history per unit
Hire to buy
Turn a weekend hire into a lifetime customer.
Plenty of people hire before they buy. When the gear comes back the system offers their hire fee as credit towards buying the same thing in store or online. Trip checklists make sure they leave with everything else they need too.
- Hire fees tracked as credit
- Credit offered automatically on return
- Credit usable in store and online
- Expiry dates you choose
- Trip checklists by trip type
- Checklists sent with every hire
- Missing items added to cart in one tap
- Follow-up emails after the trip
- Report on hirers who went on to buy
Stock & online store
What's on the shelf is what's on the website.
Your POS and online store share one stock count so online customers stop buying packs you sold at the counter an hour ago. Hire and retail go through one checkout. Shipping labels and tracking for the bulky gear sort themselves out.
- Stock synced with your POS
- Hire and buy in one checkout
- Afterpay and Zip at checkout
- Click and collect with ready alerts
- Local delivery for swags and gazebos
- Labels via StarShipIt or Australia Post
- Tracking emails sent automatically
- Products fed to Google Merchant Center
- Low stock alerts before the season
Workshops & fittings
Classes and fittings that fill themselves.
Navigation, first aid and beginner hiking sessions get booked and paid online with reminders sent before the day. Boot and pack fittings get their own appointment slots so your best fitter isn't stuck on the till during the rush.
- Workshop calendar on your website
- Online payments and capacity limits
- Waitlists for popular sessions
- Reminders by email and SMS
- Attendee lists on any phone
- Boot and pack fitting appointments
- Fitter calendars per staff member
- Follow-up offers after a class
04How it changes
Before and after
An Easter camping rush, wolloped.
Here's how an Easter long weekend could change. Every outdoor store is different, so we map yours first.
Before
- Hire bookings scribbled in a paper diary
- The same tent promised to two families
- Bond taken in cash and stuffed in an envelope
- Gear handed over with a quick look and no photos
- Torn fly comes back and turns into an argument
- The hirer buys their own tent online somewhere else
After
- Families book online with a card bond held
- Each tent booked by unit so no double ups
- Condition photos taken and signed at pickup
- Return checked against the same photos
- Wet gear goes into the drying queue
- Hire credit offered towards buying the tent
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for outdoor stores.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for outdoor stores
Built around how your outdoor store actually runs: hire calendar & bookings, check-out & return records and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for outdoor stores
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Outdoor store system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for outdoor stores
Clean, dry & repair queue and bonds, ID & agreements: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Shopify, WooCommerce and Lightspeed so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your outdoor store, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools you rely on, work alongside platforms you're happy with or replace the ones holding you back.
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Lightspeed
- Square
- Stripe
- Afterpay
- Zip
- Xero
- MYOB
- Australia Post
- StarShipIt
- Sendle
- Klaviyo
- Mailchimp
- Google Merchant Center
- Google Business Profile
- Booqable
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your outdoor store: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We spend time at the counter, in the hire room and out the back where gear gets cleaned, then work out what's actually slowing you down.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your hire fleet, bonds, returns, stock, online store, classes, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering shown to you early and often. Usually the hire calendar first so you get a win before the next school holidays.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things outdoor stores ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Can hire and purchases be in one order?
Yes. Customers can hire a tent and buy gas canisters, pegs and a headlamp in one checkout, online or at the counter.
Can it handle bonds and damage charges?
Yes. Card bonds can be held at booking through Stripe and released when the return is checked in. If something comes back damaged you charge against the bond with the condition photos to back it up.
Can hire bookings go on our existing website?
Yes. We can add the hire calendar to a Shopify or WooCommerce store or build you a new website with hire and retail together.
Do we need to replace our POS or hire platform?
No. If Lightspeed, Square or Booqable is doing its job we build around it and fill the gaps. If something is holding you back we'll show you what replacing it would involve before anything changes.
Can hire fees count towards buying the gear?
Yes. You set the rules, like how much credit and how long it lasts. The system offers it automatically when the gear comes back.
How much does an outdoor store system cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller jobs like a hire calendar or class bookings can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early instead of waiting for everything at once.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most outdoor stores we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got an outdoor store problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.