HIGH street discounter Sports Direct has hiked up the prices of some goods by more than 50% amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to documents seen by the PA news agency.
The trainers-and-tracksuits chain, owned by businessman Mike Ashley, had purported to be an “essential” operator, claiming its stores should stay open to help to keep UK residents fit during the crisis.
It has since backed down but now leaked documents show massive price increases have been levied on some of its products.
And another of his Ashley’s Frasers Group retailers, Jack Wills, is forcing staff into stores despite Government advice to stay at home unless you are an “essential” worker, employees claim.
In one message sent to staff on yesterday morning, the company wrote “we will not open our Sports Direct or Evans Stores to the public”, but asked employees to: “please continue to head into work as we have been instructed last night”.
READ MORE: Sports Direct u-turn after plan to stay open sparks anger
On the same day, Sports Direct also sent a document to staff, seen by PA, showing the lines that should have price rises applied.
Because the company operates a system of having “ticket” prices, followed by “reduced” stickers, it can be unclear what price a product was ever sold at.
Pricing documents show that an Everlast 4kg kettle bell has gone up from £9.99 to £14.99 – although the sticker will still say the “original” ticket price was £19.99.
The cost of a 12kg kettle bell by Everlast, which is owned by Sports Direct’s parent company Frasers Group, is now £39.99, up from £29.99.
Slazenger, Lonsdale and several other well-known brands are owned by Frasers.
The increased prices come as Frasers Group, which includes House of Fraser, Jack Wills, Evans Cycles and Sports Direct, among others, was forced into a U-turn over store openings.
Chris Wootton, chief finance officer of Frasers Group, said its Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores will not reopen until “given the go-ahead by the Government”.
But over at Jack Wills, one member of staff told PA that workers are sitting in stores waiting for instructions, stating: “We feel like we’re putting ourselves and others at risk by not staying at home like the government has told us to. I’ve got colleagues feeling frustrated and angry.
“We feel disrespected by Mike Ashley’s decisions to try and keep the company trading. The lack of communication and plan when they knew this was likely is embarrassing.”
The retailer said it is contacting the government “at all levels” in an attempt to get confirmation from the Prime Minister.
It comes after politicians hit out at the business for its plan to keep stores open after Boris Johnson ordered non-essential shops to close, with Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery telling company majority owner Mike Ashley to “take some responsibility” and “shut up shop”.
The group wrote to all workers within 30 minutes of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to shut down non-essential retailers, with Wootton stating that demand for keep-fit products “has increased exponentially” since gyms shut down. He continued: “We are uniquely well placed to help keep the UK as fit and healthy as possible during this crisis and thus our Sports Direct and Evans Cycles stores will remain open where possible to allow us to do this (in accordance with the Government’s current social distancing guidance).”
Labour MP Jess Phillips tweeted: “Massive mugs notwithstanding there is nothing people cannot live without in Sports Direct.”
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