OUTDOOR clothing firm Karrimor has clinched a major deal.

The Clayton-le-Moors based firm has acquired distribution rights for a range of sports footwear brands including Prince, Nordica and Rollerblade after buying the distribution divisions of Lowe Alpine Group UK.

The deal is expected to take Karrimor into second place in the UK outdoor footwear market and increase turnover from £19 million to more than £30 million. The new company will be called Europa Sportsystems and as well as marketing existing brands plans to create new products.

"This acquisition is a major step for Karrimor and means that the company is heavily involved across the sports and leisure market as well as outdoor clothing and equipment," said David Heys, Karrimor's chief executive.

The move comes less than a year after an Italian firm backed by the Benetton clothing family took control. A £7 million majority stake in the firm, which employs around 300, was bought by an investment firm part-owned by the Italian empire.

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