Sport & Leisure
Sport & Leisure covers the business performance, product innovation, and consumer trends driving the UK’s sports, fitness, and leisure retail sectors. This section reports on brand strategy, partnerships, sustainability, and digital engagement across apparel, equipment, and lifestyle categories. Retail Sector’s Sport & Leisure coverage provides insight for retailers, suppliers, and brand managers into how evolving health trends, technology, and consumer behaviour are shaping growth and competition in this dynamic market.
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May- 2022 -19 May
Under Armour CEO to step down
Under Armour has announced that Patrik Frisk is to step down as president and CEO and as a member of the board of directors, effective June 1, 2022. Under Armour said its board has initiated a “comprehensive internal and external search” process to identify a permanent President and CEO. Until…
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9 May
Fastest growing funsport from the US comes to UK
Think volleyball and then think again: with four squares. CROSSNET was created by three young American entrepreneurs and is literally game-changing as the World’s first four square volleyball game. The Miami-based brand is recognised as one of the fastest-growing fun sports brands and is sold in over 1,500 locations throughout…
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Apr- 2022 -7 April
Gymshark prepares restructure of international arm, 121 jobs at risk
Sportswear retailer Gymshark is set to restructure its international business which could place up to 121 jobs at risk. According to Drapers, who were first to report the news, Gymshark said the restructuring is designed to put it in the best position to expand globally and ensure its strategies were…
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Mar- 2022 -30 March
Lululemon surpasses £6bn in revenues
Athleisure brand Lululemon has reported a “strong” FY21 performance revealing its revenues surpassed $6bn (£4.5bn) for the first time. The performance was boosted by a 23% increase in net revenues during the fourth quarter. It also revealed that company operated store net revenue increased 70% for the year, with net…
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21 March
Decathalon owners face backlash over Russian expansion plans
The French owners of sporting goods store Decathlon could be set to face public backlash after being accused of profiting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid reports it has set out plans to increase its presence in the country. According to The Telegraph, its owners the Mulliez family plan to…
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Feb- 2022 -22 February
Angling Direct ups guidance following year of strong sales
Angling Direct has upped its full-year guidance following a full year of strong trading, expecting to report a 7.2% increase in revenue for FY22 to £72.5m, against FY21 sales of £67.6m, representing a 36.3% increase on a two-year basis. The group said this “strong performance” was achieved despite all of…
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14 February
CMA fines JD Sports £4.3m for breaching rules
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued JD Sports a penalty of £4.3m for failure to comply in certain respects with an Interim Order issued by the CMA on 19 May 2021 as part of the CMA’s review of the Footasylum acquisition. The CMA reported reason to suspect a…
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9 February
Peloton to slash 2,800 roles as part of restructure
Peloton has announced that it is set to slash around 2,800 roles as part of a series of measures to “position the business for long-term growth while establishing a clear path to consistent profitability”. Following the restructure, the fitness group said it expects to achieve at least $800m (£590m) of…
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Jan- 2022 -14 January
Peter Cowgill nets £21m after selling 10 million JD shares
Peter Cowgill, director of JD Sports, has taken £21m after selling 10 million company shares. The news comes after the retailer revealed it expects full-year profits of at least £875m following a successful black friday and Christmas period, which the firm accredited to the fiscal stimulus in the United States…
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13 January
Halfords golden quarter boosted by autocentres
Halfords has announced that total revenue rose by 13.9% on a two-year basis in the quarter ended 31 December 2021, as like-for-like retail sales rose by 5.6%, with a particularly strong performance in October and November. While sales dropped off in the latter part of the period in light of…
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