Companies

JD Sports sees improved North America performance in the fourth quarter

Jan 26, 2026 United Kingdom

The UK-based sportswear retailer has reported an improvement in its largest market, North America, in the fourth quarter, with like-for-like sales returning to year-on-year growth

“Overall sales during the peak period were in line with our expectations, against a volatile consumer backdrop. Black Friday saw strong customer engagement across all regions, but demand softened in the first half of December, particularly in Europe and the UK. We responded decisively in the final weeks of the period by choosing to make targeted price investments, and we saw improved sales in the immediate run-up to Christmas Day and the period after (…)”, commented Régis Schultz, CEO of JD Sports Fashion.

Fourth Quarter Trading Update

In the fourth quarter of the 2026 financial year (ending on the 3^rdof January), the group’s organic sales rose by 1.4% as compared to the same period in the last financial year. Like-for-like sales declined by 1.8% year-on-year, which is in line with the third quarter (a 1.7% decline).

“We were pleased to see a marked improvement in our like-for-like sales trend in North America, our largest market, where we returned to growth and delivered further market share gains”, added Schultz. In this market, JD Sports saw their like-for-like sales in the fourth quarter increase by 1.5% year-on-year, which is an improvement on the 1.7% decline recorded in the third quarter. Organic sales increased by 5.3%.

On a comparable basis to the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year, the company’s like-for-like sales in Europe, its second-largest market, decreased by 3.4%, impacted by a cautious consumer environment and higher promotional activity around Black Friday and the peak holiday season. Organic sales grew by just 0.9%.

Against a volatile consumer backdrop, fourth quarter like-for-like sales in the UK decreased by 5.3%, with organic sales falling by 4.8%, as compared to the same period last year. By contrast, like-for-like and organic sales in the Asia Pacific region increased by 2.8% and 9.6% year-on-year respectively, accounting for 4% of total sales during the period.

From a product segment perspective, JD Sports highlighted the continued resilience of apparel sales. Footwear sales were softer as expected, the company added, given the end-of-cycle headwinds of the product line, despite positive momentum in running.

Full Year Outlook

The sportswear group expects its full-year gross margin to be around 50 basis points lower than last year, primarily due to controlled price investments, mainly in the online offer. Full-year profit before tax and adjusting items is still expected to be in line with current market expectations at 849 million British pounds (978.6 million euros); and as of this trading update, free cash flow is expected to be around 400 million British pounds (461 million euros).

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Image Credits: shrewsbury-shopping.co.uk

United Kingdom JD Sports Quarter Results Results Sportswear