You don't win customers with more advertising—you win them with the right platform
Overland Outfitters, based in Kemptthal, equips overlanders and their vehicles—from family cars to vehicles used by small and medium-sized businesses and cantonal agencies. The outfitter has also been present on OLLI since March 2026. As an OLLI founder, Sascha Knauer spoke with owner Oliver Hillebrand about why a retailer with its own brick-and-mortar store and online shop still relies on a platform—and what other providers can learn from this.
OLLI Editorial Team | July 22, 2026
Oliver, what is Overland Outfitters—and what exactly do you sell?
As the name suggests, we equip overlanders—both at our retail store in Kemptthal and through our online shop. Equipment for off-road and overland adventures—roof tents from Horntools, roof racks from Rhino Rack, awnings from Clevershade, rear slide-outs with kitchens from Oryx, LED bars from Strands, that sort of thing.
And it’s not just for classic cars, vans, and overlanders—we also equip quite a few SME and cantonal vehicles. Anyone who walks in here is packing for their next trip.
Where could you even find specialized gear like this before?
Honestly? It was a hassle. There’s hardly a suitable place for new, specialized gear. Secondhand marketplaces like Tutti, Anibis, Kleinanzeigen, or Ricardo are out of the question—I mainly sell new merchandise, hardly any used items. And there, your roof tent sits right next to phone cases and cat food, and you pay a commission on every sale. There wasn’t a place where the audience was truly limited to people interested in this niche.
You have a store in Kemptthal and an online shop that you promote. So why OLLI at all?
Of course I promote my online store. But here’s the thing: advertising is expensive. I pay for every click, I’m competing with Amazon and Galaxus, and many manufacturers now ship directly to the end customer. On top of that, my ads usually catch people at the wrong moment—somewhere between two other things. And the people who come to the store are those who already know us or specifically drive by—sometimes from far away. So, two good channels—but one costs me per click, and the other relies on people already knowing us.
On OLLI, both of those limitations disappear. I don’t have to pay for attention here—people are already here because they’re interested in the topic. And you don’t have to know me—the whole community finds me here, even those who would otherwise never have come across me. This doesn’t replace either the online store or the physical store; it feeds both—without a cost per click, without a commission.
My store is like a petting zoo: Here, you can pick things up, hold them up to your car, and see if they fit.
Overland Outfitters · 33 Kemptpark, 8310 Kemptthal · On OLLI since March 2026 · Retailer page + about 20 listings in the Equipment section
How does having your gear featured prominently on OLLI within the relevant category affect your sales?
That’s the point. My stuff isn’t floating in a vacuum or sitting next to phone cases—it’s right where someone is thinking about their next trip. They’re reading a story about crossing the desert—and just like that, they’re in the mood to think about their rooftop tent or the kitchen in the back of their RV. That’s exactly where I want to be. That appeals to people more than any ad I’d otherwise shove in anywhere else.
You’ve been on the platform since March 2026—what convinced you to join?
For me, it was simple: It’s the only place where my exact target audience is. Overland Outfitters has been around for a few years—but I’ve only been on OLLI since March 2026, so I’m still new here. And yet it’s already clear: Nobody just stumbles upon this site by accident. Anyone who lands on my page is interested in exactly what I’m selling. No wasted reach. In Google Analytics, I can see in black and white that I’m getting traffic from OLLI—and I’m already seeing results. That’s the foundation on which I can build something.
In Google Analytics, I can see in black and white that I'm getting traffic from OLLI
With OLLI, you deal directly with customers, with no commission. What does that mean for you?
It’s nice, to be honest. With the big players, you pay a cut on every sale, which eats into your profit margin. On OLLI, the customer messages me directly, I sell them the stuff, and that’s it. No commission, no affiliate fees, no hidden costs. What I earn stays with me. For a retailer, that’s no small difference.
Listings come and go, but your seller page stays—how important is that?
More important than you might think. A listing disappears as soon as the item is sold. My seller page stays—a permanent address I can link to from anywhere, and it’ll still be there in six months. That’s especially crucial for remarketing. It’s about building a foundation, not a flash in the pan.
Would you recommend OLLI to another retailer?
No, of course not—that would just bring competition right into my own backyard. (laughs) Seriously, though: I’d love to have OLLI all to myself. But then again, I don’t have Google or social media all to myself either. So—if you sell specialized gear, you belong where the people are anyway.
Sign up, post a listing, give it a try—it costs almost nothing, and no one takes a cut of every sale like the big platforms do. If you want more—a merchant page or a spotlight—just send Sascha a quick message. The fees are minimal—it’s a no-brainer. OLLI gives me the platform I need.
Look, nobody buys a ticket to a concert if they don’t like the music. And turning up the volume won’t help—only the right music will. Similarly, you don’t win customers with more advertising, but with the right message on the right stage.
The Stage Is Set – Your Presence on OLLI
What Oliver does is open to everyone: retailers, brands, and providers from the off-road and overland scene showcase their products and services on OLLI—as a single listing, with a business subscription that includes their own retailer page, or in a Spotlight feature.
Contact is established directly between the provider and the interested party: no commission, no affiliates, no hidden costs.
OLLI reaches around 400,000 people interested in overlanding, off-road travel, and expeditions—there’s practically no wasted reach here.
To get your own dealer page, just send usa quick message— drop us a line, and we’ll set you up.