Sporting Life Inc. (“Sporting Life”) and Golf Town Limited (“Golf Town”) have announced their merger to become Sporting Life Group Limited (“SLG”). When the announcement was made this past week during the Golf Industry Expo in Ontario, the talk on the show floor wondered if Golf Town would now start selling ski equipment during the winter, their slow season, and Sporting Life would sell golf equipment during the summer? Stay tuned to see if any changes to the overall operations will take place.
Sporting Life is a sports and lifestyle retailer that provides a unique shopping experience, with an extensive assortment of high-end sport and lifestyle brands. It currently has 11 locations operating in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, following the recent opening of a 27, 500 square foot store in Le Quartier DIX30 last week. In 2019, it will open another flagship store in the new “Amazing Brentwood” Mall in Vancouver, B.C.
Golf Town is the largest golf retailer for apparel and equipment in Canada, with a national footprint of 47 stores. In 2016 Golf Town filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and reorganization. Golf Town was acquired by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (“Fairfax”) (TSX: FFH and FFH.U) and certain funds managed by Signature Global Asset Management, a division of CI Investments Inc., in 2016.
This merger will see the two brands continue to maintain their brand identities and operate separately, but they will jointly invest in key people, technology and supply chain to enhance future profitable growth and synergies.
“Sporting Life experiences its strongest sales in the winter months, while Golf Town experiences its strongest sales in the summer months,” said David Russell, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Sporting Life. “We believe this to be a natural ‘hedge’ allowing both companies strong profitable performance throughout the year.”
The senior executive team of the newly merged company will be:
David Russell – Chief Executive Officer of SLG
Chad McKinnon – President of SLG
Patti Russell (Co-founder of Sporting Life) – Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of SLG
Frederick Lecoq – Chief Marketing Officer of SLG
