sports direct "liquidation" sale

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Bushcraftsman

Native
Apr 12, 2008
1,368
5
Derbyshire
As some of you may know. Sports direct is having yet another closing down Sale. I was in today and got a really good deal on karrimir fleece jacket and gloves. There was also a karrimor 75 ltr rucksack for 50 quid that should've been 100 and I didn't know if i should get it. I've heard that unless it's the sabre ones karrimor rucksack aren't worth the money... what do you guys think?
 

Barn Owl

Old Age Punk
Apr 10, 2007
8,245
5
58
Ayrshire
The karrimor sabres are a different company buddy.
They kept the name when the rest of the company was sold off.
 

gabrielsdad

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 6, 2012
441
0
north staffs
Everything ive had of karrimor from sports direct has been pants. I saw on another thread that sports direct bought them out and since then qyality has dropped. I got a folding sit matt i use all the time i cant knock. But id stay away from footwear and other expensive gear. Like i say, ive only had 1 pair of boots and a day sack. I gave both away for one reason or another.
 

Outdoordude

Native
Mar 6, 2012
1,099
1
Kent
I've got a karrimor pillow which is good. So are they actually closing down because in my local branch they're saying stock clearance but I thought that was because they bought out jjb sports. I like sports direct but when I went in there last I didn't think the deals were that great.
 

tartanferret

Full Member
Aug 25, 2011
1,865
0
barnsley
Might have to pop in and clear them out of their Nalgene type bottles if they are going for a pittance.

I've been watching them reducing them for a while, I was hoping for a quid a bottle before I pounced .lol

cheers !

:)
 

The Edge

Banned
Nov 25, 2012
31
0
South East
My own thought is that the Karrimor stock that JJB are selling is surplus from their failed retail outlets of a few years ago.They had opened branches in London which did'nt do much business,and closed down after a year or so.

It was only after this that Karrimor gear appeared in Sports Direct [I still have a boxfresh pair of good quaility ''Summit'' shoes that I purchased at what must have been a considerable saving over the Karrimor RRP].

I see that they still have a website with a ''Buy Online'' option,and are supplying at least a couple of the major outlets,Cotswold Outdoor/Go Outdoors.I did'nt think that any of their old shops survive though.
 

Dave

Hill Dweller
Sep 17, 2003
6,019
9
Brigantia
Sports Direct also own field and trek. [And if you take a medium, I'd highly reccomend snapping up their helly hansen merino wool boxers at £8.99 before theyre all gone!]
 

Lister

Settler
Apr 3, 2012
992
1
36
Runcorn, Cheshire
The stores with liquidating stock (stock they brought of JJB) will have a sign in the shop window saying it's a stock liquidation sale and not a closing down sale. Stores that are closing down will have a cease of trading notice in the window, the 2 signs are very similar in style.
 

The Edge

Banned
Nov 25, 2012
31
0
South East
Sports Direct own Karrimor I thought.
Hmmm,Did'nt know that.Seems then that Karrimor were bought outright around the time I noticed their gear appear in Sports Direct.

I note earlier posts in this thread where the quality of Karrimor gear marketed them was brought into question.I will say myself that the Summit approach shoes I bought from them were part of an old run I'm sure[Pre Sports Direct,Karrimor stock],I still have them knocking around unworn after maybe 4-5 years.Current supply of the same item is nowhere near as good in terms of quality as mine I've noticed,and some of the packs I've looked at appeared nothing like as well constructed as products of old.
 

Ben98

Forager
Jun 30, 2010
244
0
West Yorkshire
I have a karrimor hot rock 40 that I got 3 1/2 years ago
I can honestly say it is the best pack I've ever had, well made and very comfy
This Christmas I have got a new alpiniste 45+10 and an x-lite 15, both are very well made and nicely designed, time will tell how they hold up but I have high hopes

Moral, karrimor climbing sacks seem very good, especially for the money. Although I don't know about there backpacking rucksacks and the shoes sound dreadful
Atb
Ben

Sent using the force
 

Alexlebrit

Tenderfoot
Dec 22, 2009
90
0
France
Two years ago, having moved back to the UK from France, I bought a pair of Karrimor snow boots thinking, wrongly, that they were the Karrimor of old that I used to buy before I moved 15 years ago. Within a few months of using them to walk the dog the sole came off one and started coming off the other. I took them back to Sports Direct's flagship store Lillywhite's on Piccadilly Circus. After nearly two hours of back and forth up and down floors, being called a racist by a very camp white South African because I pointed out his miss-interpretation of the language used on their website, I finally got the general manager, a new pair of boots and a very frank admission that Karrimor quality had gone downhill since their buyout.

But, as any good manager should, he said they were aware of this, and were working hard on quality control. My replacement boots are certainly better and I can see the differences in several of their other items. Other stores have started retailing Karrimor again when at the time it was specific to Sports Direct and its subsidiaries, so something tells me Sports Direct have actually listened, seen the number of returns and are doing something about restoring Karrimor's good name.

But who knows, times are tough, they could decide to invest less in the brand and it could all go downhill again tomorrow. Sad.
 

Thoth

Nomad
Aug 5, 2008
342
28
Hertford, Hertfordshire
Modern Karrimor kit is pretty poor quality IMO (SF/Sabre line excepted as mentioned above). I won't buy it now. Some old Karrimor kit I bought over 30 years ago is still going strong but I doubt anything Karrimor make now will last half that long.
 

Binxie

Tenderfoot
I had a Karrimor racksack about a eight years ago which was good quality but I don't think they are any good whatsoever anymore. I brought a pair of walking trainers from them and the eyelets came off the first time I went to wear them. A load of rubbish.
 

plastic-ninja

Full Member
Jan 11, 2011
2,228
260
cumbria
As has been mentioned already there is a lot of cheap tat bearing the Karrimor name in Sports Direct. Rucksacks do seem to be different though. The day sacks seem pretty poor but some of the bigger ones , particularly the Alpiniste range, do seem to be much better quality. Almost like they were made by a different company. The materials and the fit seem to be of a better class altogether and if I was allowed another rucksack I'd give them a try.
Most of the Karrimor stock does seem to just use the brand name without any quality built in.There are still bargains to be had at Field & Trek but harder to find nowadays!
Cheers , Simon
 

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