Sport & Leisure
Sport & Leisure covers the business performance, product innovation, and consumer trends driving the UK’s sports, fitness, and leisure retail sectors. This section reports on brand strategy, partnerships, sustainability, and digital engagement across apparel, equipment, and lifestyle categories. Retail Sector’s Sport & Leisure coverage provides insight for retailers, suppliers, and brand managers into how evolving health trends, technology, and consumer behaviour are shaping growth and competition in this dynamic market.
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Apr- 2024 -24 April
JD Sports reopens flagship shop in Westfield Stratford
JD Sports has announced the reopening of its flagship store in Westfield Stratford City London. The improved store, which opened its doors on Saturday (20 April), features over 4,000 sq ft of additional space compared to the previous Stratford store. Complete with a digital uplift spanning across two floors, the…
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23 April
JD Sports to acquire Hibbett in £899m deal
JD Sports has today (23 April) announced the acquisition of US sports brand Hibbett for £899m. The deal represents an important strategic milestone for the retailer, accelerating its growth plans in North America and aligning with the group’s stated strategy of enhancing its presence in the US. Headquartered in Alabama,…
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5 April
Decathlon revenues reach €15.6bn in 2023
Decathlon reported a 1.1% revenue increase to €15.6bn (£13.3bn) for the financial year 2023. Digital sales accounted for 17.4% of the group’s revenue, while the group’s net result reached €931m (£798m). For the second year in a row the retailer decreased its absolute CO2 emissions by -10%, compared to -2%…
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Mar- 2024 -28 March
JD Sports maintains guidance amid ‘challenging market’
JD Sports has reaffirmed its profit guidance of between £915m-£935m for the full year despite what it has called a “challenging market”. In Q4 its like-for-like sales were up 0.1% and organic sales were up 4.4% while FY24 LFL sales were up 4.2% and organic sales growth was 8.4%. Overall,…
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22 March
Nike revenues hit $12.4bn in Q3
Nike Inc. has revealed that its third quarter revenues slightly increased on both a reported and currency-neutral basis to $12.4bn (£9.85bn). It comes as it reported revenues for the Nike Brand of $11.9bn, up 2% on a reported and currency-neutral basis, as currency-neutral growth in North America, Greater China and…
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18 March
Hype to target kids and families with new travel product range
Hype has announced its new growth strategy, which will centre around a product range of travel accessories aims at kids and families. By focusing on children and their families, the group aims to enhance its brand identity and strengthen its position in the market as a “go-to destination” for fashionable…
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Feb- 2024 -26 February
Lululemon to open upsized flagship in Covent Garden
Athletic apparel brand lululemon will be relocating and upsizing its flagship store within The Yards, Covent Garden. Taking a new corner unit on Long Acre, the new 8,364 sq ft store will mark an 130% upsize. Set to open later this summer, the flagship West End store will showcase lululemon’s…
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23 February
Sports Direct opens new flagship store in Cardiff
Sports Direct has today (23 February) opened its fourth flagship store in Cardiff, Wales, marking the launch of their new outdoor category. With a new and younger generation of outdoor adventurers on the rise and both developing and existing communities embracing the category, Sports Direct is now giving locals the…
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19 February
Nike to cut 1,600 jobs in cost trimming measure
Nike is set to cut 1,600 jobs, around 2% of its workforce, in an attempt to trim its costs after worse than expected sales in the second half of 2023. In an internal email seen by The Wall Street Journal the company stated it would use its resources to increase…
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Jan- 2024 -25 January
Halfords maintains FY guidance despite weak December sales
Halfords has maintained its full-year guidance despite December sales being “much weaker” than expected. In its third quarter, total revenues were up by 1.6%, and 2.0% on a like-for-like basis. According to the group, stronger sales in Motoring and needs-based categories were partly offset by weaker spend in discretionary areas…
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