Life Style Sports
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| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Mary Street, Dublin 1 |
Number of locations | 63 stores |
| Products |
Clothing Sportswear Accessories |
| Website | lifestylesports.com |
Life Style Sports is Ireland's largest sports retailer, operating 63 outlets spread across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. They stock sporting goods and sport fashions.
History
Life Style Sports was established in 1979 in the Republic of Ireland by Quinnsworth, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods.[1] In 1997 it was bought by Tesco PLC but was later spun off via a management buy-out of seven directors, led by MD Andrew Sharkey and venture capital firm, ACT.
In November 2005, it was acquired by Stafford Holdings – an Irish family-owned company who stated, "This latest acquisition is in line with its stated strategy of seeking acquisition opportunities in new sectors which offer strong growth potential, while maintaining a strong commitment to its current portfolio of businesses."[2]
In 2006, former Dunnes Stores senior director Eoin McGettigan was appointed CEO.[3] Mark Stafford took up the role of chairman.
In early 2009, Mark Stafford replaced McGettigan as CEO. He was joined by former Nike Ireland general manager Nigel Cowman as Finance Director, Dan Ryan from Penneys and Brown Thomas as Trading Director.
Timeline
- 1979 – Life Style Sports opens for business in the Republic of Ireland by Power Supermarkets Limited.
- 1997 – Life Style Sports expands to 32 stores nationwide.
- 2000 – Sienna Miller appears in the Life Style Sports Cinderella TV Advert
- 2004 – The Killers, Mr.Brightside single debuts on the Life Style Sports TV Advert
- 2005 – Company acquired by Stafford Holdings-an Irish-owned company
- 2009 – MTV presenter, Natasha Gilbert stars in the first ever Life Style Sports Woman's Fitness Campaign "Your Life, Your Style, Your World”
- 2011 – New Life Style Sports Brand identity launched
- 2012 – New Flagship Stores in Mary St and Dundrum Town Centre are opened
- 2012 – Life Style Sports relaunch website lifestylesports.com as a full e-commerce site[4]
The Company at Present
In September 2007 a new flagship store opened in the Blanchardstown Retail Park, Dublin. This remains their largest store, at 21,000 square feet (2,000 m2).[5]
In February 2009 the Tullamore shop was shut down for the construction of a new shopping centre on the site. This shutdown was controversial, as the project still hadn't received full planning permission. As of the economic downturn the shopping centre was never build and it is not going to build any time soon.[6]
Retail Partners
In 2013, Life Style Sports became the official retail partner of Leinster Rugby with a Life Style Sports store located in Donnybrook stadium and the home of Leinster Rugby the RDS.[7]
Life Style Sports is also the official retail partner of Munster Rugby with a Life Style Sports store located in Thomond Park, the home of Munster Rugby.[8]
See also
References
- ↑
- ↑ Stafford Holdings buys Lifestyle Sports – RTÉ News. Rte.ie (30 January 2009).
- ↑ Lifestyle Sports names Dunnes Executive as CEO – RTÉ News. Rte.ie (26 January 2007).
- ↑ storysofar at Life Style Sports. Lifestylesports.com (5 September 2011).
- ↑ Lifestyle Sports Ltd Jobs – Jobs in Ireland. irishjobs.ie.
- ↑ Tullamore Tribune – News. Tullamoretribune.ie.
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