Jim Armitage: Mike Ashley cheapens great brands as he piles them high

Back in the day, a Karrimor rucksack was the outdoors adventurer’s bag for life. Now, since the company was bought by Sports Direct, it barely lasts a fortnight in Magaluf.

Jack Wills, the latest brand to slip into Mike Ashley’s maw, will doubtless go the same way. It was poorly run under private equity owners in recent years (take a bow Bluegem’s Marco Capello and Rob Templeman), but its designs, fabrics and factories remained high quality, with decent values on sustainability and ethics.

The brand, though fallen from its heights, still had some resonance with the wealthy set.

Ashley’s empire is so complicated these days he can barely get his financial results out on time, so it’s hard to believe he’ll lovingly nurture the Wills brand back to health. Rather, he’ll close a few stores, pump the clothes out through House of Fraser and move manufacturing to cheap Asian factories.

Doubtless, as he has supposedly claimed, he’ll get his money back by Christmas. But the brand will wither.

Brands are built through carefully telling the customer a story. It takes creativity and patience; a willingness to look beyond just making the quickest buck per square foot.

Ashley’s crew don’t have the expertise or appetite for any of that. Ask yourself; what does Slazenger stand for? What differentiates an Everlast customer? What kind of bloke wears Pierre Cardin? Answer: anyone looking to spend no more than a fiver on a polo shirt.

All were once-great brands bought and cheapened by Sports Direct.

Does it matter? Perhaps not. Another will fill Jack Wills’ niche. But overall, the quality of much for sale on British high streets is declining. That seems a pity.