Best Black Friday 2015 UK deals on sportswear, gear and trainers from JD Sports, Sports Direct, SportsShoes.com, Decathlon, Pro:Direct and others November 26, 2015 The frenzied sales of Black Friday have become synonymous with crazed customers fighting over cut-price HD TVs amid shopping aisle stampedes – but it doesn't have to be so stressful. In fact, avoid going out altogether and instead of a new screen to give your eyes a good glazing, order some sportswear to get you off [...]
Sports Direct, Debenhams, Tesco and House of Fraser: What does Mike Ashley own and how much is he worth? November 25, 2015 It's been a busy year for Mike Ashley, who has been buying up retailers and football clubs left, right and centre. But what exactly does he own, and how much has it cost him? And what on earth do his Sports Direct shareholders make of all the investing? Sports Direct International Ashley owns 58 per [...]
Autumn Statement 2015: George Osborne’s speech transcript in full including stamp duty, business rates and corporation tax announcements November 25, 2015 Mr Speaker, this Spending Review delivers on the commitment we made to the British people that we would put security first. To protect our economic security, by taking the difficult decisions to live within our means and bring down our debt. To protect our national security, by defending our country’s interests abroad and keeping our [...]
Eddie Jones: Why England Rugby’s new head coach could benefit from keeping Stuart Lancaster involved November 20, 2015 Eddie Jones is the exciting, big name appointment to head coach many England fans were hoping for – but could there still be a role for Stuart Lancaster in the England set up? Heads were always going to roll after England's World Cup results and the level of investment in the team, but we need [...]
England’s appointment of Eddie Jones as head coach signals southern hemisphere coaching dominance of world rugby November 20, 2015 On February 6, 2016 history will be made at Murrayfield – for the first time in history, England's players will be directed by a head coach from abroad. The RFU has appointed Australian Eddie Jones as the man to lead England's recovery from a disastrous World Cup, succumbing to the temptation of sourcing southern hemisphere expertise [...]
Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley buys Goals Soccer Centres stake November 16, 2015 Outspoken Sports Direct majority shareholder Mike Ashley has diversified again: this time into Goals Soccer Centres, the Aim-listed five-a-side pitch operator. In a statement this morning, Goals Soccer said Sports Direct had bought a 4.9 per cent stake in the company – worth just under £4m – via a contract for difference (CFD). It's not the first time Ashley [...]
Sports Direct in talks to open Lillywhites concessions in House of Fraser November 15, 2015 Sports Direct is reported to be in talks with House of Fraser about introducing concessions of its famous Piccadilly store Lillywhites inside the department store chain. Dave Forsey, the chief executive of the sportswear group, has held early stage talks with House of Fraser boss Nigel Oddy, according to The Sunday Telegraph, which reported that proposals [...]
Punch Taverns more than halves yearly losses November 12, 2015 Pub group Punch Taverns, owner of around 3,500 pubs nationwide, has narrowed its yearly losses by over half to £105m, from £240 million a year earlier. Refinancing of debt with a charge of £166m and the falling value of its real estate was mostly to blame. Shares in the pub company have fallen today by [...]
A conscious decoupling: Paperhat Group CEO Tim Peppiatt talks CGI, direct mail and building wraps November 8, 2015 They used to have to cut the roof off, but when you see a car seat in a sports car advert, it's likely to be CGI," says Paperhat Group chief executive and founder Tim Peppiatt. "They reproduce the same leather and stitching using the same wire frame used to build the vehicles in the factory. [...]
Pure Gym speeds up £20m makeover of former LA Fitness sites November 5, 2015 Budget gym operator Pure Gym is flexing its muscles and speeding up £20m plans to revamp the 43 LA Fitness sites it acquired this summer. The chain, which beat off competition from rivals including Sports Direct to buy LA Fitness for an estimated £70m, has already refurbished and reopened three sites in Brighton, Bedford and [...]