Who says suits and sneakers don’t mix? Just a few days ago, British retail billionaire Mike Ashley tried to buy Hugo Boss. On Monday, he launched a takeover bid for the ASX-listed retailer Accent Group, home to chains including The Athlete’s Foot, Platypus and Hype.Ashley, whose fortune is valued at $8.6 billion by Forbes, parlayed the success of his sporting goods chain, Sports Direct, into a UK-listed retail empire called Frasers, already owns 22.9 per cent of Accent Group, and in 2025 set up a deal with Accent to bring the Sports Direct brand to Australia.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Athlete’s Foot gets a hostile billionaire squeeze from UK retail king
British billionaire Mike Ashley is as colourful as they come. But it’s his prowess as a hard-nosed dealmaker that should scare ASX-listed Accent Group.
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