Mike Ashley’s Frasers loosens grip on Burberry Retail Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has loosened its grip on Burberry, despite ramping up its pursuit of high-fashion names. The retail giant, which owns Sports Direct and Flannels, had built up a position in Burberry over recent weeks but has now faltered in its pursuit of the group. Frasers Group had increased its position in Burberry [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers builds stakes in Burberry and Under Armour Retail Frasers Group, the retail empire founded by Mike Ashley, has taken a stake in athleisure giant Under Armour and built up its holding in fashion house Burberry. The London-listed conglomerate, which owns Sports Direct and Flannels, has pushed up its position in the FTSE 100 fashion brand from 4.2 to 6.3 per cent of the [...]
Mike Ashley continues leisure push with Boom Battle Bar deal Leisure A company backed by Mike Ashley has snapped up Boom Battle Bar for £11m, extending the retail tycoon’s push into leisure and hospitality. Leisure operator We Do Play, which is backed by Ashley’s Frasers Group, has bought back the business its bosses founded from experiential leisure group XP Factory. Mike Ashley began his retail empire [...]
‘Last days of the honeymoon’: Anxious bosses prepare charm offensive at Labour conference September 25, 2026 Ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday, and one month away from the Budget, businesses are feeling nervous, write Mauricio Alencar and Felix Armstrong Stepping onto an early-morning Avanti West Coast train from London Euston is now a familiar feeling for the Prime Minister. Andy Burnham is set to make the journey more regularly [...]
Celtic and when does financial prudence become sporting underinvestment? September 17, 2026 By most conventional measures, Celtic should be a model of how to run a football club. According to the club’s latest accounts, Celtic generated £143.6m of revenue and £33.9m of profit after tax, while finishing the year with £77.3m in cash. Shareholders have benefited too. According to FactSet, Celtic shares have appreciated approximately 153 per [...]
Mike Ashley tightens grip on Hugo Boss as son-in-law made chair September 16, 2026 Mike Ashley has tightened his grip on Hugo Boss after his son-in-law, the boss of Frasers Group, was made chairman of the German fashion house. Frasers, which Ashley founded as Sports Direct, has been vying for control of Hugo Boss for months, resulting in him toppling the chairman of its supervisory board, Stefan Sturm, earlier [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers ousts Hugo Boss chairman September 14, 2026 Frasers Group, the retail empire run by Mike Ashley, has overthrown the chairman of Hugo Boss as it seeks control of the German fashion house. The UK fashion group, which owns Sports Direct, Jack Wills and Flannels, told investors on Monday that Stephan Sturm, chairman of Hugo Boss’ supervisory board, has agreed to step aside. [...]
Wetherspoon boss: ‘Not up to Burnham’ to choose who is on the high street September 11, 2026 Britain’s pubs have few more committed defenders than Sir Tim Martin. The Norwich-born businessman founded JD Wetherspoon in 1979 when he bought his first pub in Muswell Hill, initially named Martin’s Free House. Since rebranding the pub to Wetherspoon – named after a former teacher of Martin’s who could not control his class – it [...]
‘Misleading’ Frasers ad banned amid feud with watchdog September 2, 2026 The advertising watchdog has censured Frasers Group for running a “misleading” ad just days after its finance chief ramped up a bitter row with the regulator. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an online advert published by Sports Direct, which is owned by Frasers, for a Puma sports top which it said misled shoppers [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers weighs move to oust Hugo Boss chief September 1, 2026 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is weighing up a move to oust a boardroom chair at Hugo Boss as it laid out fresh plans to grow its stake in the German fashion house. The retail group, which was founded by the British billionaire, told investors on Tuesday that it wants to control more than half of [...]