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Fishing in focus at Europe’s largest outdoor store

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One of the major suppliers of fishing tackle in the UK has opened the largest outdoor store in Europe with the sport occupying a major position within the retail environment.

GO Outdoors, owner of more than 80 sports retail stores, has opened the doors to a flagship 125,000sqft store in York, northern England, which boasts 380 brands covering outdoor sports that include walking, camping, caravanning, water sports, running, horse riding, climbing and fishing. It also has over 30 branded concession areas that include YETI – its largest store in Europe – and Garmin, the electronics giant that has won awards worldwide for its fishing technology.

Lee Bagnall (below), CEO of JD Outdoor, the parent company of GO Outdoors, told Angling International that a large area on the first floor is totally dedicated to fishing within the Fishing Republic concession. “The area includes a large display space with a massive range of fishing tackle from all the major brands. We wanted to create a large welcoming space where everyday outdoor customers, who may have never been to a traditional tackle shop but may have considered fishing in the past, can explore the range and introduce themselves to the amazing sport.”

He added that fishing is a very important part of the GO Outdoors portfolio. “The team consists of very experienced and dedicated members that has striven to pull together an amazing range for our customers both old and new. Bringing the Fishing Republic brand into the GO Outdoors fold has enabled us to bring fishing to a massive market, helping introduce new people into the sport and reigniting the love for fishing in others.”

Fishing Republic was one of the UK’s largest fishing tackle store chains with 14 retail outlets before it filed for administration in 2018. GO Outdoors rescued the business in January 2019, securing the jobs of 111 staff at all its tackle shops.

Bagnall said that GO Outdoors has seen tremendous growth in fishing over the last few years from multiple directions. “One of the biggest is the organic growth from pushing the Fishing Republic concessions across our network of GO Outdoors stores. We have also taken time to understand our customers and offer a range that suits them. We are not here to be everything to everyone. We know our customers and that is who we serve.

“The UK fishing market has been on a rollercoaster this year with some long established retailers reluctantly closing their doors. We continue to see growth this year and that is a testament to our dedicated fishing team and their love of the sport.

“Our plan going forward is to continue to inspire and equip everyone for life outdoors and that includes fishing. We will continue to work hard to bring the range and products our customers need and desire.”

GO Outdoors works closely with the Angling Trust, the body that represents fishing in the UK, and other local organisations to help make fishing accessible to everyone and was the first company to sponsor a fishing badge for the Scouts.

Bagnall added that as one of the leading outdoor retailers in Europe, opening the largest outdoor store in the region illustrates its commitment not only to being at the forefront of the industry, but also the aim to blend products, experience and community engagement. “While this is a huge achievement for GO Outdoors, we also want this store to be an achievement for the outdoor community and improve their shopping experience.

“The demand to spend more time outdoors seems to be growing year-on-year and we are confident that GO York could be a template for the future. With large product selections, community involvement and a unique shopping experience, we are sure consumers will continue to invest and enjoy what GO York has to offer. We want GO York to be the first of many of this scale across other outdoor regions in the UK.”

So far this year GO Outdoors has opened more than nine new retail stores across the UK. “We will continue to commit to our aims of prioritising customer experience, being a driving force in the outdoor world and engaging the local community, and we hope to share this to more areas.”

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