JD Sports

JD Sports in brief

• Rank: #79 of 100 in UK's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026; #7 of 13 in Retail & E-Commerce.
• WCRC Power Score: 62.88 out of 100.
• Founded: 1981, by John Wardle and David Makin.
• Owner: JD Sports Fashion plc, Bury, England.
• Leadership: Régis Schultz, Chief Executive Officer.
• Latest revenue: £12.7bn revenue (FY2026, year to Jan 2026, +10.5%), group revenue of JD Sports Fashion plc, as per company filings.

What makes JD Sports powerful

JD Sports has grown from a shop in Bury into a major international sports fashion retailer. In the year to January 2026 revenue rose 10.5% to £12.66bn and organic sales grew 2.1% at constant exchange rates.

The brand's power rests on its role as a destination for trainers and sportswear. Close relationships with the biggest global sportswear brands give it access to sought-after launches, and its stores and apps are a key route to young shoppers. North America has become a major growth market, with organic digital sales up 12.2%. Even in a tougher year, JD generated profit before tax and adjusting items of £852m, giving it the resources to keep investing in stores, digital and its international expansion.

JD Sports' revenue rose 10.5% to £12.66bn in the year to January 2026.

Why JD Sports ranks #79

JD Sports is 79th with a WCRC Power Score of 62.88, between SSE and Screwfix. Positioning & recall and Digital & financial both score 66, reflecting its standing with young shoppers and revenue of £12.66bn. Trust and Product & innovation are 62. Sustainability & governance, at 58, is its weakest pillar, and falling like-for-like sales and profit keep it from rising higher.

The Achilles' heel

JD depends on a handful of sportswear giants, so changes in their product cycles or wholesale strategy can hit it directly. Like-for-like sales fell 2.1% in FY26, the UK was weak, and profit before tax and adjusting items fell 7.7%. The company also warned that its annual profit would fall in the following year as the Iran war weighed on demand.

The 2026 story

In May 2026 JD Sports reported FY26 revenue up 10.5% to £12.66bn, but profit before tax and adjusting items fell 7.7% to £852m and like-for-like sales declined 2.1%. Chief executive Régis Schultz described resilient trading in Europe, a weak UK and improving North America. The company raised its payout but warned that annual profit would fall as the Iran war weighed on consumers. Half-year results for FY27 showed profit falling as sales softened, while full-year guidance was maintained.

Pillar profile

Provisional desk scores out of 100, for the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit to validate.

Versus its nearest rivals

Questions people ask

Also featured in

• Most powerful Retail & E-Commerce brands
• Fastest-Growing British Brands
• Most powerful brands in England

Key facts

Sources

• Revenue figure published by JD Sports Fashion plc
• Company website, official announcements and press releases
• Published interviews and statements by the leadership
• WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer sentiment, ratings and reviews, search demand, media and social data