Sports Direct

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct is the UK’s largest sports goods retailer, operating around 950 stores worldwide with 600 in the UK. Founded in 1982, Sports Direct has grown into a multi-retailer company that owns everything from department stores House of Fraser and Flannels to preppy fashion brand Jack Wills and computer game retailer Game. It also owns sports brands such as Karrimor, Kangol, Slazenger and Lonsdale. Sports Direct has set itself a goal to transform the business into the “Selfridges of sport”, developing new generation stores to showcase the best products and improve customer experience. The retailer is also currently undergoing a store rationalisation programme in the UK, closing smaller stores and relocating to larger flagships, which will see the total number of stores decrease but selling space increase. In November 2019, Sports Direct announced it will rebrand to Frasers Group.