JD Sports Closes 24 UK Stores as Part of Consolidation Plan

JD Sports Fashion has closed 24 stores across the UK over the past year. The company said the closures are part of a strategy to operate fewer, bigger, better locations focused on larger flagship-style stores. The sportswear retailer, which operates around 4,811 stores worldwide, reported annual pre-tax profits of £852 million for the financial year ending January 2026.

That figure marked a decline of 6.4 percent compared with the previous year. Total organic revenue rose to £12.66 billion, representing growth of 2.1 percent when acquisitions were excluded. The company said trading conditions in the UK remained particularly difficult during the period.

Organic sales in Britain fell by 2.5 percent year-on-year, while like-for-like sales dropped by 3.9 percent. The company attributed the weaker performance to a tough consumer backdrop affecting spending habits and poor weather that reduced footfall in stores.

Cold and wet conditions after the end of the financial year weighed on customer visits. April trading proved volatile, with stronger Easter sales followed by a slowdown in footfall later in the month.

The company warned that the ongoing conflict involving Iran could place further pressure on costs across its operations. Although the retailer has only a limited presence in the Middle East through a small number of franchised stores, it said wider economic uncertainty could still affect the business.

Higher energy and fuel costs across stores and logistics networks could feed through into customer prices and consumer demand. The company stated that the uncertain outlook had prompted management to widen its earnings guidance for the coming financial year.

JD Sports now expects pre-tax profits to come in between £750 million and £850 million. The company said it expects market conditions to remain subdued during the 2027 financial year but remains confident in its medium-term growth prospects.