DW Sports Fitness

DW Sports Fitness
IndustryRetailing and fitness clubs
Founded13 March 2009 (2009-03-13)
HeadquartersWigan, Greater Manchester, England
Key people
Dave Whelan
ProductsSporting goods
OwnerMaddox Holdings Limited (trademarks)
Websitewww.dwsports.com
www.dwfitnessclubs.com

DW Sports Fitness was a British retailing and fitness business, founded as a result of Dave Whelan's purchase of 50 JJB Sports fitness clubs with attached retail stores for £83.4 million in March 2009.[1] The business would later encompass more than 140 sites, which included expansion to stand-alone retail stores and stand-alone fitness clubs.[2] In 2011, the business joined buying group Intersport, and began using its name within its facades, and in 2016 it joint-purchased the Fitness First UK business alongside The Gym Group and Greenwich Leisure Limited.[3]

In August 2020, it announced that DW Sports Fitness was to enter administration.[2] A considerable number of its locations were then purchased by Frasers Group, who turned them into Everlast Fitness Club and Sports Direct locations, whilst some Fitness First locations would continue.[4][5] It is understood that 922 jobs out of 1,700 were saved by Frasers Group.[6] In May 2024, DW Stadium in Wigan was renamed to the Brick Community Stadium.[7]

The defunct DW Sports and DW Fitness brands are owned by Maddox Holdings Limited, who own Fitness First.[8]

  1. ^ Thompson, James (26 March 2009). "Whelan buys JJB's gym clubs for £83m - Business News - Business". The Independent. London. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  2. ^ a b "DW Sports gym chain collapse threatens 1,700 jobs". BBC News. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  3. ^ "DW Sports Scoops Up Fitness First UK For £70M". Welltodo. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Mike Ashley buys long-time rival's sports business". BBC News. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  5. ^ "FITNESS FIRST CLUBS LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Mike Ashley's Frasers Group saves 922 jobs in £37m DW deal". Sky News. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  7. ^ Fletcher, Charlotte (8 May 2024). "DW Stadium to become The Brick Community Stadium". Wigan Warriors. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  8. ^ Walsh, Dominic (3 August 2020). "DW Sports chain collapse puts 1,700 jobs at risk". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 10 September 2024.