Sports Direct
This coverage focuses on Sports Direct’s activities and position within the UK retail market, detailing store developments, acquisitions, financial results, leadership changes, and strategic initiatives. Reporting examines how the company shapes its sportswear and leisure offering, adapts to market trends, and competes in a dynamic retail environment — providing retail managers and executives with insights into its operations and growth strategies.
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Aug- 2019 -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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29 JulyHigh Street
Sports Direct hit with €674m tax bill from Belgian authorities
Shares in sports fashion retailer Sports Direct plummeted by as much as 27% to 166.6p in early trading today, later recovering to 208p, following its chaotic results announcement last Friday (26 July). The results were expected to have been announced at 7am ahead of the market opening, less than an…
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26 JulySport & Leisure
Sports Direct delay results for second time
Sports Direct has again delayed the release of its latest financial results and has asked investors for more time, insisting they may still be released by the end of the day (Friday 26 July). The results were expected to have been announced at 7am ahead of the market opening, less…
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22 JulyHigh Street
Philip Day places bid for Jack Wills
Edinburgh Woollen Mill owner Philip Day has put in an initial bid to acquire fashion retailer Jack Wills. It has also been reported that the company’s owner BlueGem is considering bids from other groups, including Marquee Brands – owner of Ben Sherman, Sports Direct and Johan Eliasch, owner of sportswear…
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15 JulyHigh Street
Sports Direct delays FY results amid House of Fraser ‘complexities’
Shares in Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct have fallen by 11% in early trading this morning after it delayed its full-year results citing “complexities” around its House of Fraser acquisition. The results, which were due on Thursday, have been delayed due to “the current uncertainty as to the future trading performance…
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15 JulyHigh Street
Sports Direct increases stake in Game to 84%
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has moved a step closer to purchasing video game retailer Game, after it increased its stake in the company to 84%. The retail group has also put forward an application for Game’s shares to be suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), and for…
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