Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct to close after major U-turn Sports Direct, the nationwide chain of sports stores owned by Mike Ashley, has said it will close its shops in a major U-turn, after initially calling for its workers to continue selling sports and fitness equipment in the face of coronavirus. Chris Wootton, chief finance officer of owner Frasers Group, said its Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores will not open on Tuesday. He said in a “clarification” that they will remain shut, despite stating that government policy “excludes bicycle shops from closure”. Stores will not reopen until “given the go-ahead by the Government”, he added. The retailer said it is contacting the Government “at all levels” in an attempt to get confirmation from the Prime Minister. It comes after politicians hit out at the business for its plan to keep stores open after Boris Johnson ordered non-essential shops to close, with Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery telling Ashley, who also owns Newcastle United, to “take some responsibility” and “shut up shop”. Ashley has tried, unsuccessfully, to sell his majority stake in the Premier League side for the best part of 18 months now. The group wrote to all workers within 30 minutes of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to shut down non-essential retailers, telling them its position selling sporting and fitness equipment made it a vital asset during a national shutdown. In the original letter, Mr Wootton said: “Against the backdrop of the closure of gyms the demand for these types of products has increased exponentially as the population looks to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “Consequently, we are uniquely well placed to help keep the UK as fit and healthy as possible during this crisis and thus our Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores will remain open where possible to allow us to do this (in accordance with the Government’s current social distancing guidance).” Labour MP Jess Phillips also criticised the appeal to keep stores open, tweeting: “Massive mugs notwithstanding there is nothing people cannot live without in Sports Direct.” Rival retailers such as JD Sports have confirmed that stores will remain shut in the face of the coronavirus, until Government guidance changes. The post Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct to close after major U-turn appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Sports Direct, the nationwide chain of sports stores owned by Mike Ashley, has said it will close its shops in a major U-turn, after initially calling for its workers to continue selling sports and fitness equipment in the face of coronavirus.

Chris Wootton, chief finance officer of owner Frasers Group, said its Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores will not open on Tuesday.

He said in a “clarification” that they will remain shut, despite stating that government policy “excludes bicycle shops from closure”.

Stores will not reopen until “given the go-ahead by the Government”, he added.

The retailer said it is contacting the Government “at all levels” in an attempt to get confirmation from the Prime Minister.

It comes after politicians hit out at the business for its plan to keep stores open after Boris Johnson ordered non-essential shops to close, with Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery telling Ashley, who also owns Newcastle United, to “take some responsibility” and “shut up shop”.

Ashley has tried, unsuccessfully, to sell his majority stake in the Premier League side for the best part of 18 months now.

The group wrote to all workers within 30 minutes of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to shut down non-essential retailers, telling them its position selling sporting and fitness equipment made it a vital asset during a national shutdown.

In the original letter, Mr Wootton said: “Against the backdrop of the closure of gyms the demand for these types of products has increased exponentially as the population looks to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 

 

“Consequently, we are uniquely well placed to help keep the UK as fit and healthy as possible during this crisis and thus our Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores will remain open where possible to allow us to do this (in accordance with the Government’s current social distancing guidance).”

Labour MP Jess Phillips also criticised the appeal to keep stores open, tweeting: “Massive mugs notwithstanding there is nothing people cannot live without in Sports Direct.”

Rival retailers such as JD Sports have confirmed that stores will remain shut in the face of the coronavirus, until Government guidance changes.

 

The post Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct to close after major U-turn appeared first on teamtalk.com.

James Marshment