Go Outdoors into administration

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A victim of coronavirus and the lockdown or simply that despite having to buy their discount card, most items could be bought for same price or cheaper elsewhere? I used them so infrequently that I had to buy a new discount card everytime I went there.

That's so true. We visited them once and didn't like the discount card ploy they were using, so we went elsewhere and purchased the items we wanted for about the same price as the "discounted" price, so they lost us as a customer long before the virus problems.

Me too, sorry but trying to lure people in by showing a reasonable price tag didn't work with me either, last year I was in the Sheffield branch, went to buy something which was quite big, heavy & expensive, got a member of staff to struggle with it to the checkout, only to be told I  also had to buy a 'discount-card' as well, 'stuff that' left it & walked out.
We always try to buy locally, but like you we came home, a bit of searching & got it a lot cheaper on line, free freight as well.
The only good thing about these type of outlets is the fact that they tend to have a lot of stuff so you can have a good  look around to see whats out there.

I have just received their e mail 'flyer' with latest offers ! Wont be buying from there then.....once bought a £140 Leatherman multi tool for £42 with their price match discount so cant complain too much especially as if they had checked the item wasn't available in the rival retailers at that time.....

Around here there used to be 4 dealerships, 3 for caravans, one was tent based well stocked and a decent place, each had a shop where I'd sometimes go for bits. Gradually they've all closed, the latter tent based probably seen off by Go Outdoors. Now all similar places are being challenged by the internet. There's one place left now where I sometimes go for the odd bits, but mostly I'll be unable to buy everything I need there so it's back to the internet.

I agree plus the two times I’ve been in their store I didn’t find the staff either helpful or knowledgable about what they sold. Luckily we have a Winfields nearby and the experience in there is completely the opposite, plenty of advice and no pressure to buy.

Mike

Well, just to put the other side, I have always found them helpful and mostly competitive, even allowing for buying the annual card when required and balanced by the extra 10% discount for Camping & Caravanning Club members. I shall be sorry to see them go.

rogerblack wrote:Well, just to put the other side, I have always found them helpful and mostly competitive, even allowing for buying the annual card when required and balanced by the extra 10% discount for Camping & Caravanning Club members. I shall be sorry to see them go.

That was my experience too to be honest. My thoughts are with the 2400 staff soon to lose their jobs. Now is not a good time to be job seeking.

Not only that Sally but you would think with all the hype around staycation in current times they would be opening from lockdown  to queues at the doors for camping gear.  As you say its the lowly workers who you feel sorry for.

Years go when the stores first opened  I thought the prices lower than Blacks, Millets and others, the clothing was cheaper during their sales.
We have a retail sales outlet in Hornsea on the east coast, it has Graighoppers, Regatta, Mountain gear,TOG 24 plus others, prices are very good, however I'm not sure how many will reopen after this lockdown , feel sorry for all staff getting paid off, I've been there.
Boaby

I was just reading yesterday from the MD of Decathalon UK that, contrary to his initial expectations, business has boomed during lockdown with shops closed due to the increased requirement for leisure accessories and having an effective on-line business.

We've used them over the years. I agree they are not always the cheapest but sometimes, with clothing for instance, you want to see and try the item. When we were still camping they were the only place, after Blacks closed, where you could see tents erected. I've also bought walking shoes from them several times and they were pretty competitive, price wise.

It could be that the end of lockdown may be coming too late for them, I guess they must be carrying a lot of tent stock that will be hard to shift now. Like others I feel sorry for the staff who might lose their jobs.

If you read reviews of what its like to work for them on Indeed.co.uk you'll see very mixed reviews with many saying it changed from a great place to a dreadful place when JD Sports took them over. Sounds a bit like Sports Direct, another store I avoid.
Luckily, like Mike187, we have a Winfields nearby where staff are knowledgeable and always have a range of clothing on special offer as well as loads of clearance items and lots of tents erected for inspection. This year though, despite all the reports of being a year for staycations, may not be great for tenting holidays if toilet blocks remain closed.

Great shame to loose Go Outdoors......Agree the discount card style of marketing was dubious in effect but they were very good for trying things and then shopping elsewhere.That may sound callous but I frequently then used their price match to give them the chance of custom which has produced some good results for me. I think the market for that sector of clothing and equipment should be strong but maybe us shoppers look for genuine bargains without having to wangle them out of suppliers. Feel sorry for all who are losing jobs in these difficult times.

Hang on in aren't they in administration not receivership a whole different ballpark. They may well continue in new hands

I won't pretend to understand but after JD Sports called in administrators for Go Outdoors,  they've bought them back...

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Yup: debts of original company - mainly rent - will be written off at expense of landlords, and new Go Outdoors is born without those debts. Staff etc to be inherited by new company. 

Morality?

Cymro

Exactly. They’ll have bought the assets but not the liabilities.  It's normal in business. 

Hmmm. Mixed feelings on this one. They were/are the only place near me where I could buy stuff for the motorhome - nothing too esoteric, but handy if I needed a bottle of toilet flush pink additive or the sinister blue gloop for the Thetford cassette.  The staff weren't very clued up, and the discount card arrangement was tedious, but if the local branch closes it will be most inconvenient for us. However, the whole into administration then a buy-back by the parent company is a swiz: as others above say, they pick up the assets without the liabilities such as unpaid rent and will be no guarantees for the staff either; it's likely they will change the business to try and dump the loss-making bits, so I think redundancies will still be on the cards. I hope I'm wrong.

New Go Outdoors catalog came through the door this morning, leisure batteries down to £84 (Numax 105 ah ) lots of other stuff.
To far away from me.
Boaby

We have been very happy to use the Go Outdoors store in Gloucester. Handy for chemical toilet supplies, clothing and footwear. Hope it survives in some shape or form