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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Jan- 2024 -4 January
JD Sports lowers guidance after underwhelming Christmas sales
JD Sports has lowered its full year profit guidance to between £915m – £935m, down from its ambitious £1bn target after seeing lower than expected revenue growth over the festive period. The company saw a constant currency organic revenue growth of 6.0% with like-for-like growth of 1.8% for the 22…
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Dec- 2023 -22 December
Nike lowers sales forecast amid $2bn cost savings plan
Nike has announced that it is set to make cost savings of $2bn (£1.57bn)across the next three years and has lowered its sales forecast. This news caused the sportswear retailer’s stock price to drop over 11% in after hours trading yesterday. The company expects a pre-tax charge of between $400m(£315m)…
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Nov- 2023 -30 November
Castore secures £145m investment
Castore, the performance sportswear brand and technology-enabled, end-to-end digital platform for global sports teams, has secured significant growth investment in a funding round led by Raine Partners, The Raine Group’s flagship growth equity fund. The £145m investment round will support Castore’s efforts to continue to “disrupt the premium sportswear market…
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Oct- 2023 -24 October
Decathlon launches nationwide buyback service
Decathlon has announced the launch of a buyback service in 50 of its stores across the country. The scheme will allow customers to trade in old sports equipment in exchange for in-store credit. The first leg of the initiative will focus on bicycles, with the service later expanding to all…
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24 October
Angling Direct revenues up 11.4% in H1
Fishing and tackle equipment retailer, Angling Direct, revealed that group revenues increased by 11.4% to £43.3m in the six months ended 31 July. This comes as the group’s retail store estate experienced another strong period of growth, with total store sales increasing by 11.3% against H1 FY23. Meanwhile, UK online…
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5 October
ON aims to double net sales in three years
Swiss running retailer ON has announced its target to double its net sales 2026 to at least £3.19bn. The company also expects to exceed 60% gross profit margin by 2026 and reach an apparel share of 10% or more. Furthermore, ON wants to reach an adjusted EBITDA margin of +18%…
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Sep- 2023 -29 September
Nike revenues up 2% in Q1 as higher prices offset waning demand
Nike revenues increased 2% to $12.9bn (£10.5bn) in the first quarter ended 31 August due to a 2% increase in digital sales, as higher prices for sneakers and clothing helped offset a hit from waning demand and president cost pressures. As a result, the group expects a 1% increase in…
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27 September
Geek Retreat revenues rise 36% amid strong store sales
Geek Retreat, the geek culture retailer, gaming café, community hub and events venue, has reported a “record” August with average monthly store revenues 36% higher than the same period in 2022. Over 40% of the growth has been powered by sales of Disney’s Lorcana, the new collectible trading card game.…
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21 September
Footasylum opens Oxford Street flagship
Sportswear retailer Footasylum has opened its flagship store at 73-89 Oxford Street in London, as it continues to see strong demand for its branded streetwear offering. The new 20,000 sq ft store opened to the public today (21 September) and trades across two floors, with additional customer service and click-and-collect…
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21 September
JD Sports revenues up 8% in H1
JD Sports revenues grew by 8% to £4.7bn in the 26 weeks to 29 July, as gross margins were “robust” at 48% and well above pre-pandemic levels due to a more normal promotional environment in H1. The group said its profit before tax and adjusted items of £373.5m also reflected…
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