A newly converted GO Outdoors Express store has opened its doors in the heart of Douglas.

The shop, which was previously a Millets, held a grand opening event last week to mark the occasion, with the Mayor of Douglas, Mrs Natalie Byron-Teare, invited to cut the ribbon on the revamped premises on Strand Street.

Millets and Go Outdoors are both owned by JD Sports.

Millets was founded in Southampton in 1893 and specialises in outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment while Go Outdoors was first set-up in Sheffield in 1998.

Chris Lunt, regional manager for the GO Outdoors Express in the Isle of Man, said: ‘We had a great time celebrating the newly converted Isle of Man store and look forward to welcoming even more visitors.

‘Whether you visited the Millets store previously or this is your first time shopping at GO Outdoors Express, we hope customers will be impressed by the extensive range of products stocked.

‘We’re looking forward to offering more customers our unbeatable range of outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment while also supporting local communities and creating job opportunities in the Isle of Man.’

Millets’ Douglas branch was previously based in the Strand Centre until Sports Direct took over its site in 2017, forcing the branch to move to its current location at Tower House.

In October last year, closing down posters were erected in the windows at Millets’ Tower House location ahead of its rebrand.

A spokesperson for the Douglas branch said at the time that the store was due to close down at the end of 2024 before re-opening as a Go Outdoors shop in February.

Around the same time, the company also launched a recruitment drive to fill three new roles at the Douglas branch - namely an assistant manager, supervisor and sales assistant.

The company says that the Douglas branch is one of 80 stores across the Go Outdoors business.

A spokesperson for the branch at the time said: ‘The staff [at the then Millets site in Douglas] have all worked really hard over the past year and the branch has performed extremely well.

‘As a result, the company has decided to invest in the branch.’

The newly converted Go Outdoors Express store stocks a wide range of leading outdoor brands, such as Rab, OEX, and Berghaus, as well as trusted names like Peter Storm, North Ridge, and Craghoppers.

Lee Bagnall, CEO of GO Outdoors, said: ‘We are extremely excited and proud to be opening the newly converted GO Outdoors Express store in the Isle of Man and look forward to enhancing the experience of customers in the area. As the only GO Outdoors store on the island, we are committed to providing customers with an enjoyable shopping experience.

‘With the best outdoor brands available, we are confident this conversion will offer a rewarding shopping experience for outdoor enthusiasts in the Isle of Man.

‘The new GO Outdoors Express store will also allow local shoppers to benefit from our GO Outdoors loyalty programme, which provides lower prices for members.’