http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30069154

Must admit i have bought darts and cricket stuff in there for my daughter and it looks miserable place to work, will the decent British public do the right thing and do a Starbucks on them?

Poeple obviously want to work there, and get paid to work there, and we all have the choice of where we shop, its cheap and reasonably good quality.

I wonder how much ‘want’ is involved rather than need.

Zero hour contracts are immoral for anything other than temp work

Its 90% tack!!!!!

Lots of people having crappy jobs or fewer people having better jobs?

It’s not obvious which is better.

When I was a pickny frequenting sports shops was a joyous affair,
But a trip to sports direct is a life sucking experience to be avoided at all costs.

It’s good if you want a bit of piece and quiet though, somewhere you can sit or stand around for hours without anyone bothering you. For extra solitude hold a shoe.

problem is that there are very few high-street sports retailers left.
I dislike going in there, it’s like walking into a jumble sale.

I wonder how many hours per week are available, in total, to those 17000 zero hour workers.

Poeple obviously want to work there,

A few months ago, I was talking to a girl in her early twenties, she worked in the local sports direct and loved it. Yes the shops are awful, zero hour contracts are not a good thing, etc etc, but I can think of worse jobs.

a spokesman added: “With enemies like these, who needs friends?”

I find it particularly interesting that a high profile retail company should use the media attention it is receiving to make a smartarse comment like that.

I don’t doubt that it speaks volumes about the style and attitude of management.

Poeple obviously want to work there

Works for sweat shops, child labour and asbestos mines as well.

Lots of people having crappy jobs or fewer people having better jobs?

It’s not obvious which is better.
Its not obvious that this is the choice

I can think of worse jobs.

Can you think of way of improving the jobs there ?
Why are you all trying so hard to miss the point?

Sports direct is utter garbage but for folks on a budget It is sometimes all they can afford. The only two things I have bought from there were a Wilson Tennis racket and a Sondico base layer for £12 which was actually really good.
I think Mike Ashley has amassed his huge personal wealth buy buying cheap bankrupt crap and remarketing It , Incidently his latest purchase is Glasgow Rangers (I rest my case).

Lots of people having crappy jobs or fewer people having better jobs?

It’s not obvious which is better. (Fewer) jobs with proper wages and security generates more tax revenue and more disposable incomes which will drive a stronger economy therefore more opportunity for future jobs – I’m surprised that the level headed ones in the tories camp (I know there aren’t many) aren’t making this argument really, quite compatible with freemarket economic growth hungry views…

don’t be surprised to see people on poor temping contracts and zero hours being part of the reason the foodbanks are maxed out, cos there’s bugger all control over income and less access to benefit cos you’ve got a non-existent job..

zero hours contracts have all the class of the 1920s dock gates employment method; we’re better than that aren’t we

Just for devil’s advocate I have a zero hours contract which suits me. Though in my case I’m offered shifts and can take or leave them. So if I want a free week or fortnight I don’t take any shifts.

But then it’s also a third income source for me. A zero hours contract as a primary job where the employee has to be available for work at all times is a bit 19th century.

In my case most of the work is done by staff on contracted hours and ZH staff are used to cover sickness/holidays etc. An employer with the majority of staff on zero hours contracts is taking advantage of the unemployed.

The NHS employs thousands upon thousands of people on zero hours contracts. Probably more than Sports Direct does. I’m sure they would all really appreciate it if you boycotted the NHS.

One of my Students has been working at Sports Direct for a few Months and tells of wierd customers and daily shoplifting.

When She started, She was given one shirt and one pair of trousers for her uniform. She was told that’s all She was allowed.

Back in the Summer, the Staff had to buy their own Shorts as it was roasting in the Shop.

She actually didn’t mind the job too much but has just got a Office job as its contracted hours.

Please god do not stop zero hours contracts. I’d have to work proper hours or maybe my job would just go. I think they are a damn good idea.

There seems to be a lot lately in the news about zero hour contracts, but they are nothing new…
I used to do them when I worked in shops about 20 years ago…

Some quite snobby comments about the clothing in there, but I’ve bought quite a bit of decent kit in there.
Recently bought some decent Speedo swim shorts, Nike Air trainers, some dirt cheap swimming goggles that are at least as good as the expensive Speedo goggles I’ve had in the past….yeah, you have to be prepared to root around a bit and yeah, there is a lot of tat, but there’s a lot of decent stuff.

Weird post from thegreatape – I’m always surprised by how helpful the young folk are when shopping for shoes in Sports Direct. Helpful, polite and efficient despite it being, apparently, a shitty place to work.

I have no problem with its products but thegreatape summed up perfectly my experience of sports direct.

The irony is that you write your username with no capital…

Anyone working on a zero hours contract in UK politics, I wonder?

There are certainly plenty of people in Labour led councils working on zero hour contracts.

Weird post from thegreatape – I’m always surprised by how helpful the young folk are when shopping for shoes in Sports Direct. Helpful, polite and efficient despite it being, apparently, a shitty place to work.

Try the weegie branch!

Anyone working on a zero hours contract in UK politics, I wonder?

Don’t be silly now, those are Interns. They don’t get paid at all.

Anyone working on a zero hours contract in UK politics, I wonder?

I’m guessing you heard the radio 4 piece on it this morning and already know that some labour council employees are on zero hour contracts. And they wonder why they are losing support with from traditional labour supporters. 😥

As for sports direct, it’s on the banned list in our house.

My last experience of sports direct was a weekday early afternoon.
Bearing in mind it was a large retail outlet on a retail park.
There were six people visibly in the shop, me, another customer, three sales staff and a security guard on the door.

One sales assistant was on the floor helping the other customer choose a pair trainers, one stacking shelves and one behind the till.
I stood clutching my chosen shoe about ten yards away from the one serving as not wanting to intrude but still make him aware I was wating to be served. Ten yards in the other direction was the one stacking shelves who would occasionally make eye contact but then turn away quickly returning to his shelf stacking, with the last assistant stood behind the counter staring blankly into space.

After what seemed a lifetime I turned to the one stacking shelves and said I would like a pair of these in a size 10 please while offering him the shoe.
I can’t help you sir i am currently busy was his reply.
So I patiently waited another lifetime while the other customer tried on every shoe in the place before approaching the young lady on the till, could I please get these in a size ten while again offering my chosen shoe I asked.

Sorry I am on the till you will have to get one of our staff on the floor to help you she replied.
So I then retook my place near by to the one member of staff who was actually giving good service and the young lady behind the till went back to staring blankly into space.

This went on for another 15 minutes, before I could take no more and conceded defeat, returning the £90 trail running shoe to its place on the wall and then left.

When I left I was not even angry, quit the opposite, I felt like I needed a lie down, as I had never failed before to buy something I wanted from a shop.

Tennis balls, football boots and nike pro combats – the only things IME worth the pain of visiting SD. But like ZHR, it has a place filling a need.

Given that the balls, boots and underwear are probably all made in a sweatshop somewhere it would be pretty hypocritical to boycott them IMO.

Prefer the local sports shop though.

The problem isn’t zero hours contracts- it’s jobs that should be regular time, being run as zero hours. That’s obviously the case here- you can’t run a retail chain of 420 shops with 20000 staff of which 17000 are legitimately and reasonably zero hours.

Given that the balls, boots and underwear are probably all made in a sweatshop somewhere it would be pretty hypocritical to boycott them IMO.

Depends on the reason for boycotting them. I boycott because I dislike their business practises not because of the products they sell. I agree that the conditions of manufacture, particularly non EU manufacture is something that is very difficult to have any real certainty about.

These contracts should be outlawed. Yes there are some businesess where there is a genuine need for such flexibility bit they are in the minority. Zero hours are used to avoid holiday and sick pay and pensions. Sports Direct would exist as a business if it had proper employment contracts

Tried to buy some sock holder uppers (Velcro things that ground the leg to hold your socks up) in a variety of shops that sold sports wear yesterday in Edinburgh. Failed miserably

Ended up in Sports Direct, served by a floor worker straight away, right product, £3 – bargain

My lad then stopped battling with his kilt.socks every 30s

I’d love to see more proper sports shops, but Sports Direct serve a massive part of folk’ needs for kit.

Went to Greaves in Glasgow (both shops) last week and they were awful. In each shop there was someone available to help serve but they were useless, took a bit to find someone interested/competent. Disappointing when paying full rep for products.

jambalaya – Member
These contracts should be outlawed.

Why outlaw something that (as posters above have noted) provides job options that some people want?

Yes there are some businesess where there is a genuine need for such flexibility bit they are in the minority.

That only focuses on demand for labour, what about supply?

Zero hours are used to avoid holiday and sick pay and pensions. Sports Direct would exist as a business if it had proper employment contracts

Is when ZHC are possibly abused which is a different point altogether – NWs point – but doesn’t lead to conclusion that ZHC should be outlawed IMO.

Off to SD later to get replacement studs. Other shops do not open.

Given the strength of feeling against Sports Direct, does that mean it would be acceptable to use them as an internet shop window?
Go to SD, try a few items on for fit & quality, go home, order them from whoever’s cheapest on the internet. You know, the sort of thing that’s frowned upon when done to an independent LBS.

Chip – your purchase failure seems very like the one my dad had when he went into a Honda dealership to buy a £25k brand new car. Despite standing there for some time no-one ever came to speak to him and it wasn’t busy so he just left and bought a Ford (which was a lot better) instead. 🙂

Despite standing there for some time no-one ever came to speak to him and it wasn’t busy so he just left

The line between pushy and not pushy. It’s amazing how many people go shopping for things but are unable to just ask someone.

bought a Ford (which was a lot better) instead.

No it wasn’t.