Off Topic Is Sports Direct good or bad for the UK?

One opened up in Consett over the weekend and it got me thinking about the pros and cons of Mike's company.

It gives people access to cheaper brands and creates jobs... but there's the zero hour contract thing, rumours of sweat shop slavery and of course the potential for smaller businesses to go pop. There is only one sports shop in Consett and it's an independent and now will most likely struggle for business.

The same type of arguments were levvied at grocers and the impact on independent greengrocers but that seems to have gone full circle now as people seem to want to buy fresher and locally.

Are businesses like SD and their ilk a good or a bad thing... or is the truth somewhere in the middle depending on how they affect you?

 

Bad

As you say it does ruin independent shops, I would rather have 100 seperate independent retailers as opposed to one across the uk. Allowing 100 people/families to earn a good wage, instead of one fat bastar d heaping in all the profits.

Independant shops that manage themselves well will also need to employ and grow thus creating jobs. In terms of costs to the consumer, thats more an issue for the manufacturer, Nike selling £120.00 trainers when it costs them £2.00 to make is farcicle. Putting an end to chinese sweat shops and being forced to make clothes back here would only be a good thing, but as long as the margins and prices were competitve and fair to all, not exhausting as much profit as feasibly possible so a CEO can throw his daughter a million dollar sweet 16 b day party!

If all of the seperate issues were tackled together, i believe it would be a much better market place for all.

 

does this mean there's an alternative to the Fenwicks window ??

 

Fat Mike's place must know they have a window creeper locally cos they kinda while out their windows.

 

Sports Direct in some ways is no different to Wetherspoons in the pub market, they play to the lowest common denominator which is price, my brother is a golf nut but he wouldn't go near SD as he spends big money on clubs and kit so he uses more specialised suppliers. You can't compete with these operations, if you want to be in the same market you have to appeal to the customer who wants the quality aspect and is willing to pay more to get it or find the niche that they do not supply, independents can't play them at their own game as you can never get the goods at the low cost that they get because of the economy of scale within which they operate.

 

I think there is a place for everyone in the market. As BTK says, it takes all sorts and largely depends on the shopper. I would buy from SD. I don't very often but it wouldn't stop me just because some poor sap is getting ****ed over on his contract. Trainers/running gear/gym gear/holiday stuff/camping gear - for what you use them for it is ok. Its dirt cheap and serves a purpose.

I wouldn't go and get my golf gear from there, I wouldn't buy clothing to go out in etc. They are no different to similar companies in other sectors. BTK uses a good example in Wetherspoons. You get your hotel chains which have found ways of giving you really cheap rooms. You might stay there if you were just looking for cheap accommodation. You wouldn't take the missus there on a romantic/ass slamming break.

 

Don't get how it still makes money the products are ****e

I used to use it for socks but i can get them cheaper online

 

Depends what you do with the socks, cheap socks are for the alternate user!!!!!

 

I usually put them on my feet.

What on Earth have you been doing?

 

Sports Direct is a minging place. It reminds me of a Jeremy Kyle holding pen in Pennywell whichever one you go into.