Frasers Group, which owns Sports Direct, will not be opening any stores in during lockdown, its boss Mike Ashley said today.
Frasers Group owns Sports Direct, Evans Cycles and Frasers department stores. It said it would not be opening its English stores during lockdown – even if they were classed as “essential retailers”.
In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Frasers Group said: “In England, stores closed from November 5 2020 and are currently expected to reopen when current regulations expire after 28 days.
“The Government finally updated mixed retail rules for England yesterday, Thursday 6 November 2020.
“We note inconsistencies remain and, given Michael Gove MP chose to perform a PR stunt on TV to deflect the public’s opprobrium onto Frasers Group at the start of the previous lockdown, we currently will not be opening any of our fascias in England, including those with mixed retail use that include ‘essential retail.'”
During the first national lockdown reports suggested that Ashley had planned to keep his Sports Direct stores open, claiming they were “essential retailers”.
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