Jd Sports closes 24 UK stores as profit outlook rises
jd sports closed 24 UK stores over the past year and lifted its next-year profit outlook to £750 million to £850 million. The retailer said the Middle East war has not hit the business directly yet, but it could still push up costs and weaken customer demand.
Regis Schultz on £852 million
£852 million was JD Sports’ pre-tax profit for the year to the end of January 2026, down 6.4% from the previous year. Regis Schultz said: “We delivered a resilient performance, achieving organic sales growth of 2.1% despite tough market conditions.”
£12.66 billion in total organic sales showed the group kept growing even as its UK business faced a tougher consumer backdrop. JD Sports said cold and wet weather had dampened sales since the end of the financial year, and April trading was volatile, with a strong Easter performance followed by fewer visitors to shops.
24 stores and fewer, bigger shops
24 closures fit JD Sports’ push for “fewer, bigger, better shops.” The company operates 4,811 stores worldwide, so the UK cuts sit inside a much larger estate rather than a wholesale retreat.
24 stores also show how the chain is reshaping its physical footprint while it tries to protect margins. For shoppers, that means the company is concentrating on a smaller store base; for investors, it signals management is willing to cut locations while still chasing sales growth across the wider group.
£750 million to £850 million
£750 million to £850 million is JD Sports’ forecast for pre-tax profit in the next financial year. The company said heightened uncertainty may contribute to direct cost pressures, including energy and fuel costs across its store and logistics networks, with potential indirect effects on pricing and consumer demand if input cost inflation emerges.
“Our deep understanding of our customers and lifestyle trends give us a clear view of how they want to shop and spend, allowing us to consistently deliver the right products, in the right places and at the right prices. Whilst we continue to expect muted market growth in FY27 (2027 financial year), we remain confident in JD Group’s medium‑term trajectory, underpinned by our strong brand partnerships and agile, multi‑brand model.” That leaves the next phase focused on whether cost pressure or demand holds the upper hand.
