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Sports Direct hikes sports kit prices online after COVID-19 closure

Tom Bottomley
25 March 2020

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has reportedly put the prices of some of its active wear and sports equipment up by 50% online.

It follows the Frasers Group, which also owns Evans Cycles, deciding to shutter its stores after originally announcing that stores would stay open amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

Bosses had defended the original decision to remain open, saying home fitness was now of great importance, before an inevitable U-turn, especially following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s UK-wide lockdown of “non-essential” retail stores.

According to the Metro, Sports Direct sent a document to staff yesterday, showing the equipment lines set to have price increases applied.

 

However, as the company has a pricing system of having original ‘ticket’ prices followed by ‘reduced’ stickers, it’s unclear as to what price the products were ever sold at. One example was an Everlast 4kg kettle bell, which had gone up to £14.99 from £9.99, though the original ticket price was supposedly £19.99.

There is also unrest with Sports Direct employees still working in its factories and warehouses to support the online business. Given the nature of the job, Government social distancing guidelines for workers to stand two metres apart are unrealistic.

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