Mike Ashley’s Frasers makes £1.7bn takeover offer for Hugo Boss June 10, 2026 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has moved to tighten its grip on German fashion giant Hugo Boss, tabling a takeover offer in a deal that values the brand at nearly €2bn. The retail empire, which spans Sports Direct and Flannels, already sits as Hugo Boss’s largest investor with a stake north of 25 per cent, and [...]
Mike Ashley: I was behind Peter Cowgill’s JD Sports downfall May 10, 2026 Billionaire businessman Mike Ashley has admitted he masterminded the infamous car park footage leak that brought down his arch rival, JD Sports’ boss Peter Cowgill. Cowgill, who was executive chairman of JD Sports, quit the sportswear retailer in 2022 after being fined by the competition watchdog over a car park rendezvous with the boss of [...]
Frasers founder Mike Ashley snaps up stake in UK’s largest listed residential landlord January 7, 2026 Fraser’s founder Mike Ashley has secured a slice of an FTSE 250 property firm in a multi-million-pound bet on the future of UK rental housing. The UK billionaire has acquired a 3.1 per cent interest in the UK’s largest listed residential landlord in the private rented sector, Grainger, through a high-stakes financial move known as a spread bet. The [...]
Frasers Group chairman urges Unite to avoid ‘reckless’ strike October 3, 2025 The chairman of retail giant Frasers Group has urged Unite the Union to avoid “reckless and irresponsible” strike action as retail firms across the UK feel the crunch of rising cost pressures. Sir Jonathan Thompson, who took the role of Chair in September, has asked the Union’s General Secretary Sharon Graham to reconsider plans to [...]
Mike Ashley tightens grip on Hugo Boss amid dividend demand July 4, 2025 Frasers Group, the retail empire controlled by billionaire Mike Ashley, has tightened its grip on Hugo Boss after upping its stake. The owner of Sports Direct and House of Fraser has increased its shareholding in the German giant to in excess off 32 per cent. In a statement, Frasers Group said it “continues to consider [...]
Mike Ashley-owned Frasers to cut a third of design and editorial staff March 18, 2025 Mike Ashley-owned Frasers Group may cut nearly a third of staff within its design and editorial teams, according to reports. It entered into a consultation with staff of March 7 as part of the company’s latest restructure, Retail Gazette reported. Sources told the trade publication that the redundancy process will not affect managerial roles and [...]
Hornby: Mike Ashley-backed toymaker announces plans to go private March 13, 2025 Hornby, the international models and collectibles group advised by Mike Ashley, has announced plans to go private as it looks to sidestep regulatory hurdles and cut costs. The firm told markets Thursday it intends to strike its shares off London’s AIM stock exchange, citing regulatory burdens, limited liquidity and the high cost of maintaining a [...]
Jack Wills: Job cuts continue as fashion brand halves in size February 5, 2025 Profit has continued to fall at fashion brand Jack Wills, which is owned by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, as more jobs were cut and stores closed during its latest financial year. The company’s headcount reduced from 233 to 135 in the 12 months to 28 April, 2024, while it went from running 32 shops to [...]
Frasers Group set to accuse Boohoo of undisclosed payments to founder’s son January 22, 2025 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is set to open a new front in its war of words with Boohoo this evening, accusing the fast fashion firm of allegedly paying its founder’s son £2m-a-year but failing to tell shareholders, City AM has learned. In the latest attack of a long-running spat between the two companies, Frasers is [...]
‘We need to get back to our very best’: Boohoo boss vows to make 2025 a ‘year to remember’ January 22, 2025 The chief executive of fast-fashion giant Boohoo has said the group “needs to get back to our very best” as he vowed to make 2025 “a year to remember”. Daniel Finley was speaking a day after shareholders voted to keep co-founder Mahmud Kamani on its board in another blow to Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group. But [...]