Jobs go in region as JJB stores close

Administrators from KPMG were yesterday appointed to the three companies which make up sports retailer JJB Sports – JJB Group plc, Blane Leisure and SSL Retail.

The administrators completed an agreement to sell part of the business to Sports Direct International.

Sports Direct has acquired 20 of JJB’s stores, the brand and website, securing about 550 jobs in the UK, including the staff at the company’s warehouse.

But the remaining 133 stores were closed yesterday, resulting in approximately 2,200 redundancies. Among these, two stores in Leeds, one in Dewsbury, one in Scarborough and one in Wakefield as well as one in Grimsby
and one in Chesterfield have closed, resulting in 101 redundancies.

A total of 167 employees have been retained to help the administrators. One Yorkshire store – in Leeds – is among the 20 sold, saving 11 jobs.