Mike Ashley
This coverage examines Mike Ashley’s activities and influence within the UK retail sector, including his leadership roles, acquisitions, strategic decisions, and impact on companies such as Sports Direct and Frasers Group. Reporting provides retail managers and executives with insights into his business approach and its implications for the wider industry.
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Sep- 2019 -18 SeptemberHigh Street
Sports Direct to ‘ignore’ deadline in hunt for new auditor
Sports Direct is still searching for a new auditor, amid reports that it could be forced to consult the government for guidance. The retail brand’s auditor Grant Thornton officially resigned after nine years, at the company’s AGM last week (11 September) following a £605m tax bill from Belgian authorities. Shareholder…
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12 SeptemberHigh Street
91% of Sports Direct shareholders re-elect Mike Ashley
Over 90% of Sports Direct’s shareholders have voted in favour of founder Mike Ashley’s re-election as a director of the company. A statement from the group’s AGM on Wednesday (11 September) said that 90.99% of votes cast were in favour of re-electing Ashley, with just over 9% voting against it. …
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10 SeptemberHigh Street
Sports Direct among bidders for Links of London
Sports Direct is one of two final bidders attempting to buy jewellery brand Links of London from current owner Folli Follie (FF Group), according to reports from Sky News. FF Group appointed firms Deloitte and Savigny to find a buyer for Links in late August, after the brand pulled out…
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3 SeptemberHigh Street
Sports Direct wants to ‘eliminate Debenhams as a competitor’, court hears
Sports fashion retailer Sports Direct is reportedly seeking to “eliminate Debenhams as a competitor” by funding a lawsuit which would push it back into administration, the High Court heard on Monday. At the court hearing, Debenham’s lawyer, Tom Smith QC, said the retailer believed Sports Direct was “backing the case…
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Aug- 2019 -13 AugustFeatures
Mike Ashley’s high street monopoly
Over the past two years retail tycoon Mike Ashley has been treating the UK high street as his very own personal Monopoly board. However instead of desires to develop houses and hotels on his newly acquired property, Ashley has the grander vision of ‘saving the UK high street’ and turning…
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7 AugustHigh Street
Sports Direct is not a business ‘in crisis’, claims exec
Sports Direct’s head of elevation, Michael Murray, has moved to quash rumours that Sports Direct was in “crisis” in an interview with Sky News, following the purchase of Jack Wills. The retail group posted a profit drop of 9% last year following the acquisition of House of Fraser, which owner…
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6 AugustAnalysis
What on earth is Mike Ashley’s game?
If you’ve been paying even cursory attention to the retail market over the last 18 months, you will know that the founder of Sports Direct, the billionaire Mike Ashley, has been on a mission to buy up the high street. As news of the torrent of CVAs and administrations has…
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6 AugustHigh Street
Sports Direct acquires Jack Wills in pre-pack deal
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has acquired fashion retailer Jack Wills from administration, after administrators KPMG accepted the £12.75m offer tabled by the sports retail group. Jack Wills currently has 100 stores in the UK, employing around 1,800 people, with all properties and distribution centres to be transferred to Sports Direct…
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5 AugustHigh Street
Mike Ashley to rival Philip Day in Jack Wills takeover bid
Sport Direct owner Mike Ashley and Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) owner Philip Day are the final bidders for fashion retailer Jack Wills, according to Sky News. It was first reported last month that the brands owner BlueGem was looking for a buyer for the retailer, with Marquee Brands, Johan Eliasch…
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Jul- 2019 -30 JulyPeople Moves
Grant Thornton set to quit as Sports Direct auditor
Accountancy firm Grant Thornton is reportedly set to quit as the auditor to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct following concerns over the revelations of a €674m (£605m) tax bill. According to the Financial Times, the auditor has told UK regulator The Financial Reporting Council of its intention to step down, citing…
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