JD Sports Profit Down 6.4% to £852M, Cautions Further Fall

JD Sports Fashion, the British sportswear retailer, reported a 6.4 percent decline in pretax profit to 852 million pounds for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2026, while cautioning that profits could fall further in the coming year amid weak consumer spending and uncertainty from the Middle East conflict.

The company, which operates around 4,800 stores worldwide, achieved global organic sales growth of 2.1 percent to 12.66 billion pounds, excluding acquisitions. However, performance in the UK weakened, with organic sales down 2.5 percent and like-for-like sales falling 3.9 percent to 3.1 billion pounds. The retailer attributed the downturn to a tough consumer environment, particularly softness in online sales and footwear, as well as challenges at key supplier Nike, which accounts for about 45 percent of its sales. JD Sports closed 24 stores on a net basis in the UK over the year, shifting toward fewer but larger outlets.

Recent trading reflected ongoing pressures. Like-for-like sales dropped 2.3 percent in the first quarter to April 25, hampered by cold and wet weather. April saw volatile results, with strong Easter trading offset by reduced store footfall.