In 1982, Mike Ashley founded "Mike Ashley Sports" a sporting goods retailer in Maidenhead, and this was the first step towards the modern Sports Direct retail chain. Over the years, their branches have had a number of different trading names, with the most well-known of these being "Sports Soccer" and "Lilywhites". To increase their high street presence, they took over a number of JJB Sports outlets after their closure, and they also operate larger stores in retail parks.
To keep their clothing and footwear at a low price, their strategy has included taking ownership of many of the brands that can be found at Sports Direct. This has enabled the chain to retain complete control over the production of Lonsdale trainers, Slazenger clothing and Dunlop equipment, and many more brands now fall under the Sports Direct umbrella. By purchasing famous clothing brands when they have run into difficulties, the sporting goods chain has been able to keep them from going out of business.
Learn more about Sports Direct,
Sports Direct
(chainstore's website)
