[Closed] Go Outdoors going into receivership!

Terrible news - Go Outdoors has been for many years one of the few shops I've genuinely enjoyed browsing - Spent loads in there.

Sad for the loss of job but as a business I only went when I was somewhere that didn't have a decathlon...

Really like GoOutdoors. A real shame if true - I can't find this news elsewhere, but haven't looked hard.
Was thinking of a Bossnut or Triple B for a next bike for someone, but figured I'd wait for a sale. Selfishly, I'm hoping to do a fire sale and I can get a bargain (which will include some new clothes and camping gear as well!) - really selfish thinking.
It is a real shame for the staff if this can't be saved though.

JD also owns Millets and Blacks.

Plus Tiso and GoOutdoors?

I've never got this - why have three or more companies all in same area of retail, plus IIRC they also own one of the online only outdoor retailers.

Sad day for those whose jobs are at risk now.

However I think there's a lot more of this on the way the next month or two as furlough scheme changes and businesses realise the cost of restarting, not just in retail.

Sounds like it's administration to restructure rather than death throes. So they'll probably not disappear anytime soon.

Hope your right Ben, my calibre stitch is hands down the best value bike I've ever had, I'll definitely buy from them in the future. Best get a hanger just in case though.

I'm always amazed Tiso is still going, I pop into both Glasgow stores pretty much every week on my uni days for a look, they are always dead, the Buchanan st one in particular.

Used to be good many years ago, in more recent years actually become expensive

I’ve never got this – why have three or more companies all in same area of retail, plus IIRC they also own one of the online only outdoor retailers.

The illusion of choice, even if they are all selling much the same products.
It is all part of the Pentland Group anyway, who own a variety of other brands. Including Berghaus and Endura.

I’m always amazed Tiso is still going, I pop into both Glasgow stores pretty much every week on my uni days for a look, they are always dead, the Buchanan st one in particular.

I mainly use the Perth and Aviemore branches. Both went into new developments where I guess there were significant rent incentives to be the keystone retailer. The airy openness is much more conducive to spending than the claustrophobia you get in Rose st and Buchanan st stores.

The cafe in the Aviemore store is great - almost as good as the old Active Cafe and so much better than Cobbs (although the Cobbs @ Glenmore is decent).

Very exposed business model sadly.

Not really, UK camping is always popular and even more so when times are hard and people can't afford foreign holidays. I don't think anyone could have anticipated a global lockdown like this though.

Cardiff store was always busy and I have no idea where people are going to go to get their good family camping gear. Cotswold is nowhere near useful enough for general camping stuff. Some else should move in here because there's now a huge gap in the market here.

Baals - it's one of the only shops I actually go to fairly regularly

The JD empire is rather large. 160+ companies, £4.7 billion turnover last year @ 47% gross margin.
50 thousand employees.

All that from what i thought was a crap sports shop.

If the turnover has been slashed as a result of Covid-19, it's not surprising they are letting people go and probably selling chunks off.

Doesn't stop it from being bad news although I suspect it will be just a number when the net effect of this deepens towards the end of this year and into next 🙁

We used to get quite a bit from Go Outdoors, I even bought a Bossnut but once JD Sports removed most of the "sports" stuff like anything running related so they didn't compete with their own shops we've been spending more at Decathlon.

Hopefully the chain can be kept running in some form, we generally found it a good place to shop before JD bought them.

calibre stitch is hands down the best value bike I’ve ever had, I’ll definitely buy from them in the future

The problem is if they want to stay in business they need to increase the price. Calibres are great value because they're too cheap.

That’ll explain why I got an email from them today listing items I was looking at yesterday and urging me to buy now while there are stocks. Never had that after browsing before.

Closest I've come to buying anything from them was the Dune fatbike in early 2016, but I didnt want to pay another ~£50+ for hydraulic brakes and bought the Wazoo instead for less from Halfords.

Does this mean the new Calibre Dark Peak won't see light of day, due in the next week or two?

I’ve never got this – why have three or more companies all in same area of retail, plus IIRC they also own one of the online only outdoor retailers.

You get cost savings from combining back end processes (eg one massive warehouse, mail order centre etc), purchasing power with suppliers; but you can cater for a wider range of customers with front end brand segmentation ie high end and low end stores and neither customer realises they're buying from the same place.

The problem is if they want to stay in business they need to increase the price. Calibres are great value because they’re too cheap.

It'd be interesting to know if their margins are significantly different to other similar brands like Planet-X (I'd say Bird, but even at Swinley the Bossnuts outnumber them).

It could be a loss leader, but then whenever Ive been into the shop its always been like a badly stocked LBS. There'll ve one brand of tyres, one brand of shoes, etc. So how much do people actually go back and spend on accessories?

Lots of tents. But away from the 8 person origami palaces there isnt much choice, theres a bivi bag, a 1 man tent, but no choice.

Same with kit, I wanted a new thermarest/exped synmat type thing before lockdown, and they had some similar stuff, but not exactly a range, just a handfull of price points.

And downstairs was just TK max for berghaus and wierd fish t-shirts for once youve given up on life and want to dress like your dad.

Surprised at the love above, must have been doing something right. Personally used them a bit, hated the members discount rubbish (that still going?) That put me off more than anything, only used them occasionally so the card had usually expired, still cheaper to renew than pay non members prices but I objected to paying for them to create a marketing database. It wasn't like they were particularly cheap with the discount card. Prefer Decathlon and lucky to have one of the biggest in the country at Stockport.

That’s a pity. The Bristol store is only a few minutes walk from home for me. Have had some bargains from there when popping in while out walking the dog. (Always a bowl of water and treats for the pooches too.) I hope they can find a way to stay open.

We’re a bit screwed for that kind of retail in Brizzle if it goes. Decathlon’s store opening strategy seems to concentrate on a spine from south east to north west. AFAIK from the last time I checked, there are no plans for a Bristol or Cardiff store anytime soon. I’ve never understood why they don’t have a massive store in an outdoor mad city like Bristol, or indeed molgrips’ Cardiff.

Deadly, I agree and after being spoilt with the size of the Stockport store (which still doesnt stock everything) I'm always surprised at how small some of their other stores are.

It’d be interesting to know if their margins are significantly different to other similar brands like Planet-X

Planet X has a lower margin than average bike cos I'm sure but it's made up of high margin stuff and giveaway stuff, one feeding customers to the other. A bossnut for example is a pretty unsustainable price standalone, the problem calibre has (good for it's customers though) is that I suspect all their range is priced that way. There's no offset in the bikes ranges.

I spoke to the guy that used to run the bike division about how they shipped bikes like that to the US and still made money. His answer, to paraphrase was they didn't. They lost money on them but shipping was someone else's budget so it's all good.

Edit: just checked and the RRP on the sx bossnut is £1500 which is more sustainable than the prices of old, but millets have them for £1100 in the middle of the biggest bike shortage the UK has ever known. Bonkers.

Every time we go on holidays in France, my first saved google maps search is “Decathlon stores near...” 😀

after being spoilt with the size of the Stockport store (which still doesnt stock everything) I’m always surprised at how small some of their other stores are.

Depends where in the country you are. Theres a big one in Reading, loads of SUPs and inflatable canoes for paddling on the Thames but doesn't stock any Sailing gear, the Southampton one has whole isle of sailing stuff. And the Sheffield store always had a massive MTB section. Theres a small one in Staines which mostly sells clothing and whatever's seasonal.

Edit: just checked and the RRP on the sx bossnut is £1500 which is more sustainable than the prices of old, but millets have them for £1100 in the middle of the biggest bike shortage the UK has ever known. Bonkers.

It's always that price, the £1500 is the price if you dont buy the discount card.

It must be sustainable to some extent or they wouldn't do it.

AFAIK from the last time I checked, there are no plans for a Bristol or Cardiff store anytime soon. I’ve never understood why they don’t have a massive store in an outdoor mad city like Bristol, or indeed molgrips’ Cardiff.

Or Exeter or even Plymouth.
Loads of outdoor types down this way, Decathlon would do a roaring trade in the SW.
From here either Poole or Oxford are my closest stores ☹️

What benpinnick said. They'll close a few stores, try to negotiate rent reductions on the remainder and resurface in a slimmed down form. At the same time as Alpkit are looking to expand. Retail is bonkers.

I’ve never understood why they don’t have a massive store in an outdoor mad city like Bristol, or indeed molgrips’ Cardiff

Often thought the same. I live east Dorset and have one in Southampton and one I Bournemouth but head family in Bristol and can't make out why there is not one there

Will be a shame if they close. I used to work for them in their Sheffield shop many years ago when they only had one shop and were looking at starting to expand. Im sure the business model has changed lots but it always used to be 100% markup on everything even the deal stock - a high percentage of their budget was always kept back to allow them to have spare cash to be able to always buy whatever deal stock the manufacturers had spare. The discount card was always a very open ploy to get your address to allow aggressive direct marketing - and in return 10% off rrp on all products. They always used to buy their premises rather than rent as well, but I'm sure thats changed.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are sold off if they previous owners who left the business dont get back involved.

Re Decathalon - I don't think the UK is market that they are that interested in expanding aggressively into - which is a shame because they sell alot of very good stuff for the price they charge.

Landlords are going to have to budge on rents, or they're going to be left with empty retail parks, especially out of town.

They still have to pay the rates.