Rotherham’s Fishing Republic casts out expansion plan with acquisition of Fantackletastic

Fishing Republic, the Rotherham-headquartered fishing tackle retailer, has acquired sole trader, A. Would, which operates Fantackletastic, a fishing tackle store in Lincolnshire, in a £150k deal.

Based in Lincoln, Fantackletastic has operated for over 15 years from the same site on a light industrial estate close to the city’s centre.

Catering for all types of fishing disciplines, from a 4,000 sq ft operation, the store provides Fishing Republic with its first presence in the East Midlands and fits the group’s ‘destination store’ model.

In the year to 31 March 2016, Fantackletastic generated revenues of around £425k and an operating profit of £40k.

Following completion of the acquisition, Fantackletastic’s founder, Adele Would, will remain with the business for a period to complete the handover, with the wider team joining Fishing Republic.

The acquisition takes the total number of Fishing Republic’s stores to 11.

Steve Gross, chief executive of Fishing Republic, commented: “I am pleased to announce the acquisition of Fantackletastic, which provides Fishing Republic with a presence in the East Midlands.

“It is a long-established business, with a loyal customer base, and fits our ‘destination store’ model. We look forward to working with the Fantackletastic team as we integrate the business within the wider Group.

“We continue to evaluate opportunities to increase the Group’s footprint across the UK.”