Sheffield sportswear company borrows thousands to keep trading

Kitlocker.com will use the cash to cover essential operating costs and lost revenue due to a reduction in trade.

The firm, based on Stevenson Road, Attercliffe, sells sports and leisurewear to schools, colleges and semi-professional football, rugby, basketball and volleyball clubs, and many other sports and sectors.

Mike Kent, co-founder and director, said: “We recently started our expansion plans, increasing staffing levels, relocating premises and building our stock provisions and we’ve also been driving efficiency consolidating from three sites down to one.

“The impact of the coronavirus pandemic was pretty dramatic and we knew we had to immediately reassess our future plans.”

The firm applied to Barclays and borrowed the money through the Government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Sinead McCall, Barclays high growth business manager, put together the funding package with James Western.

She said: “We’ve worked with Kitlocker.com Ltd since they were established and have supported their growth over the years so we have a strong relationship and understanding of their business model.

“This enabled us to move quickly to support the business so that they can operate through these unprecedented times.”

Tom Ward, Kitlocker co-founder and director, said the loan was a lifeline “in very uncertain times.” Sinead and James had guided them through the application to make sure the amount borrowed provided flexibility, he added.

Kitlocker was established in 2005 selling university sportswear. Today it manages the brands of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

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