Deal of the day
The thriving British retailer JD Sports is understood to have made an offer for its smaller but rapidly growing rival Go Outdoors.
The development will be greeted with little surprise, as JD Sports was quickly identified as a likely suitor for Go Outdoors when Go Outdoors’ management hired KPMG to help it sell the business in May.
A number of other private equity bidders are also believed to have expressed interest in a process which is expected soon to enter its final stages, with a view to being concluded by the end of the year. No specific private equity names have been mentioned in the most recent report, but when the process kicked off, it was suggested that PAI Partners, the owner of AS Adventure Group, and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, would be likely to be interested.
Go Outdoors now has more than 60 stores across the UK, selling a range of specialist goods from waterproof clothing to tents and bicycles. The privately owned group employs around 2,500 people and is planning a rapid expansion but it is not clear what price is being discussed.
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