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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Sarah Butler

‘Penchant for bling’: can Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley take a bigger slice of luxury retail?

A woman walks past the Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge store, in London
The Harvey Nichols department store in Knightsbridge, central London. The chain has 13 stores and 1,200 staff. Photograph: Corey Rudy/Reuters

What billionaire doesn’t love to splash the cash on a luxury item? Some may buy watches or yachts, but Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley has been snapping up entire brands.

Harvey Nichols is the latest bauble to drop into his shopping basket after his company bought the Knightsbridge department store out of administration earlier this month. It sits beside a large slice of Hugo Boss, a chunk of Mulberry, a snippet of Burberry, the remains of Agent Provocateur and the entire Flannels and House of Fraser chains.

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