JD Sports has confirmed the closure of 24 UK branches after a drop in annual earnings, with the retailer warning that Middle East conflict could raise costs, push up prices and weaken customer demand
11:14, 09 May 2026Updated 12:42, 09 May 2026
JD Sports in Eyre Square Shopping Centre Galway
One of Ireland’s most well-known and well-loved sports retailers, JD Sports, has announced the closure of more than 20 branches across the UK.
The retailer, which operates 4,811 stores worldwide, recorded a fall in its annual earnings and cautioned that the conflict in the Middle East could drive up costs, potentially pushing prices higher and dampening consumer demand. The closures come as JD pursues its strategy of having “fewer, bigger, better” shops.
The sports giant stated that the Iran war has had no “direct exposure” on the business thus far, as it has only a small number of franchised stores in the region. Nevertheless, the company warned that “heightened uncertainty” could ultimately “contribute to direct cost pressures”.
JD said: “Over time, the potential future impacts of heightened uncertainty may contribute to direct cost pressures, including energy and fuel costs across our store and logistics networks, respectively, as well as potential indirect impacts on pricing and consumer demand should input cost inflation emerge.”
Faced with this uncertainty, the retailer revealed it was offering a broader range of profit guidance for the forthcoming financial year than it had originally intended. It is now projecting a pre-tax profit of between £750 million and £850 million. This would represent a fall from the £852 million pre-tax profit the company recorded for the year ending January 2026, itself a 6.4% decrease on the prior year. Total organic sales for the group, which strips out the impact of acquisitions, rose 2.1% year on year to £12.66 billion.
In the UK, JD attributed the drop in organic sales to a “tough consumer backdrop”. Since the close of the financial year, JD also noted that cold and wet weather had put a dampener on sales.
The retailer described trading in April as “volatile”, with a strong Easter period followed by a notable fall in footfall, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Regis Schultz, JD’s chief executive, said: “We delivered a resilient performance, achieving organic sales growth of 2.1% despite tough market conditions.
“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.”
There are currently 31 JD Sports outlets across Ireland – including one in Eyre Square Shopping Centre – and speaking to RSVP Live about the chain’s Irish stores, a spokesperson stated: “Across Europe, there have been net 51 new stores opened, which includes stores in Ireland.”
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