CarMats.co.uk | Gravitate Client Stories

About me and CarMats.co.uk

I’m Ash, I’m the Managing Director at CarMats.co.uk. My background is in digital marketing, which is really where all this came from. I’ve been in the industry for a long time now; I’m starting to feel a bit old, actually! It’s been about 20 years.

CarMats.co.uk really started as a way to prove that our agency (Evoluted) could do it for ourselves, to show that we could build something real, apply everything we tell our clients to do, and make it work.

And, well, it clearly does. We’ll probably do something like 250k–300k orders this year, which is crazy considering it’s gone from nothing to that in less than five years.

From lockdown side hustle to eCommerce giant

CarMats.co.uk started out as a side hustle during lockdown, actually, though that wasn’t deliberate - it just happened to coincide. The COVID Lockdown gave me the time to do it. No one wanted to talk to me, clients were all dealing with their own chaos, so I finally had the space to build something.

In those first six months, no one was doing anything, right? Then, as COVID went on and people realised they had cash to spend, things started to move.

We started the business with about £10,000. £5,000 of that was a loan, and the rest was just seed money to run ads. We basically recycled that money and grew the account gradually, month after month.

When we first launched, we only had one product on the site: a Ford Focus car mat. You couldn’t buy anything else. We just wanted to test it, see if people would bite. That’s how it started.

"We started the business with about £10,000. £5,000 of that was a loan, and the rest was just seed money to run ads. We basically recycled that money and grew the account gradually, month after month."

A DIY approach to programming, marketing and operations

In the early stages, I did everything. I built the website, ran the ads, tried to keep it as lean as possible.

Over time, we brought in developers to add bits like the registration look-up, but early on it was just me watching user behaviour on Hotjar, refining the copy, stripping it back to as few words as possible, and nailing the layout for mobile.

How we manage rapid growth

The biggest challenge has been managing it at scale. When we started, everything was made to order through our manufacturer, who ships directly to customers. We never saw the products. But now we stock a huge range, so managing stock (what to buy, what not to run out of) is a huge task.

Returns can still be a nightmare. We used to discourage returns early on, because it was just chaos. But now, as the market leader in B2C car mats, we’ve introduced free returns for everything (except engraved items). It’s the right thing to do for the customer experience.

We even process returned items so that if someone else orders the same configuration, we can send it straight back out instead of binning it. That’s been a big efficiency win.

"As the market leader in B2C car mats, we’ve introduced free returns for everything (except engraved items). It’s the right thing to do for the customer experience."

Our technology creates unique advantages

We’re very tech-heavy: we write a lot of our own code to make life easier and more efficient.

For example, if someone emails us after placing an order, our system automatically holds the order until we know why they emailed. Otherwise, we might make a set of mats only to find they wanted them in grey, not black. Once the production process starts, it’s too late to change it.

We’re constantly refining based on customer data and behaviour, not just following what’s “traditionally” done. Being young as a company helps too; no legacy systems holding us back.

What I love about running CarMats.co.uk

Compared to agency life, it’s great dealing with fewer people. Less explaining, fewer meetings. I have complete control over my day. I decide what to do, when to do it. In my old roles, my day was dictated before it even started. Now, if I wake up with an idea, I can just go after it. That makes a huge difference.

I love launching new products. We launched ToyTown car mats last year, and they’ve been massive; we’ve sold thousands. It’s opened a new market for us: fun, novelty mats that are more of an accessory than a utility item.

Kids love them, and we’ve got Christmas-themed ones coming soon. It’s been a challenge though. We’re actually manufacturing our own carpet for the first time, which has meant importing from Italy and racing to get it ready in time for Christmas.

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"The Sheffield United sponsorship has been fun! It came from wanting to push the brand beyond digital. We’d basically maxed out Google, so we needed new channels."

Hitting the big time: Sheffield United sponsors

The Sheffield United sponsorship has been fun! It came from wanting to push the brand beyond digital. We’d basically maxed out Google, so we needed new channels. Sponsorship helped us grow brand awareness and look more like a “grown-up” brand.

Europe and beyond: The future

We want to keep growing and plan to expand into Europe. We’re already big in Ireland, but we want to move into continental Europe next. That’s tricky because of left-hand vs right-hand drive… it’s basically like starting again from scratch.

We’ve got tech and equipment to help speed up product development, but it just takes time. This year we’ll do about £10 million in revenue, and we’re launching new brands too, including a car cleaning range with shampoos, snow foam, glass cleaner, accessories, that kind of thing.

"It's been brilliant... [Gravitate] know what’s going on, so I don’t have to explain everything every time. We can just get straight to the point and make decisions quickly. That’s how I like to work."

Working with Gravitate

Honestly, it’s been brilliant. We’d been with another firm before, and it was painful; slow, expensive meetings, no real answers.

Then I got recommended to Gravitate, and it’s been great. The close working relationship makes a big difference. You guys know what’s going on, so I don’t have to explain everything every time. We can just get straight to the point and make decisions quickly. That’s how I like to work.

How Gravitate helps CarMats.co.uk succeed

We love working with Ash and the CarMats.co.uk Team. Co-Founder and Director, Mike Crocker and the Gravitate team work in close partnership with clients to help them know their numbers and boost financial resilience.

Monthly Meetings

We regularly review business performance to ensure you're making data-driven decisions that drive real value.

Pre-Year End Tax Planning

We work with businesses to structure their finances in the most efficient way, helping minimise tax liabilities, maintain compliance, and reinvest more effectively in growth.

Remuneration Planning

We review how you currently extract money from your business and ensure you are doing so in the most efficient manner from your business and personal tax position.

Personal Taxes

Your personal finances are closely tied to your business. Gravitate provides tax efficient strategies to improve your tax position and maximise income while remaining compliant.

Company Accounts & Corporation Tax

Gravitate will collaborate with you, help you automate the process of preparing your accounts and optimise your tax position.

Payroll

We will deploy the latest technologies in the industry to automate and streamline your payroll and pensions.

Gravitate Client Stories

“We’re constantly refining based on customer data and behaviour, not just following what’s 'traditionally' done. Being young as a company helps too; no legacy systems holding us back.”