Two rivals remain bidding for Blacks

The sale of Blacks Leisure is drawing to a close this week.

It is thought two parties remain in the contest: outdoor clothing rival Go Outdoors and LDC (Lloyds TSB Development Capital). Blacks, the outdoor clothing specialist that also owns Millets, hired McQueen, a corporate finance advisory firm, in October to deal with the approaches. The 300-store retailer, boosted by the freezing weather, saw a 10.2 per cent rise in sales in December.