Sports Direct International (SDI) has reportedly held talks with the Chinese owners of House of Fraser, the Sanpower group, to deploy the Lillywhites banner in some of the group's department stores. The Sunday Telegraph reported that talks are at an early stage and that Nigel Oddy, House of Fraser's chief executive, has already turned down the suggestion to have Sports Direct shop-in-shops in the Chinese-owned department stores. SDI intervened in House of Fraser's sale by accumulating a stake of 11 percent, but the department stores formally went to Sanpower in September last year. Lillywhites is the name of a large sports store on Picadilly Circus in London, which SDI bought from the Portuguese retailer Jerónimo Martins in 2002. The Sunday Telegraph adds that Mike Ashley is said to have been floating the thought of opening Lillywhites stores in China, leaning on Sanpower's connections. Sanpower has committed to spending £25 million (€35.5m-$37.6m) on House of Fraser openings in China in the next two years, as well as revamping UK stores. SDI declined to comment on this report.

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