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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Sep- 2023 -14 September
Footasylum opens new 10,000 sq ft store in Essex
Streetwear and sportswear retailer, Footasylum, has opened its new 10,000 sq ft store in Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex, and will be led by its footwear and men’s apparel offering. According to the retailer, the store represents a “first-of-its-kind concept” development and has an improved look and feel. This comes after…
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1 September
Lululemon sales rise 18% to $2.2bn in Q2
Athletic wear brand Lululemon has reported an 18% rise in sales to $2.2bn (£1.74bn) in Q2 2023. Gross profit was up 23% to $1.3bn (£1.03bn) and gross margin increased 230 basis points to 58.8%. Additionally, income from operations increased 19% to $479.3m (£378.02m) and adjusted income from operations increased 23%.…
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Aug- 2023 -9 August
Under Armour revenues dip 2% in Q1
Under Armour revenues were down 2% to $1.3bn (£1.02bn) for the first quarter of FY24, despite the sportswear brand’s international business growing its revenue by a total of 12% to $485m (£380m). This comes as the company’s North America revenues decreased by 9% to $827m (£648m). Within the international business,…
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Jul- 2023 -25 July
Under Armour opens new Brand House on Oxford Street
Under Armour has opened its latest Brand House in London on Oxford Street. The Oxford Street location, which opened on 20 July, is the latest in a series of Brand House openings following Westfield Stratford, Battersea Power Station, and Liverpool. Under Armour reported this is its strategy to grow its…
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7 July
JD Sports to acquire remaining shares of ISRG for €500m
JD Sports has announced its intention to acquire the remaining 49.98% shares in Iberian Sports Retail Group (ISRG) that are currently held by Balaiko Firaja Invest and Sonae Holdings for a total of €500.1m (£427.1m). The acquisition will be funded from the group’s existing available cash resources, and upon completion,…
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5 July
JD Sports broke competition law with Leicester City FC, CMA finds
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that JD Sports, together with Leicester City FC, broke competition law by “colluding” to restrict competition in the sales of Leicester City-branded clothing in the UK. After an investigation which began in September 2021, Leicester City agreed to pay a fine under…
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3 July
JD Sports signs first franchise deal with GMG
JD Sports has signed its first franchise agreement in partnership with GMG, a Dubai-headquartered well-being company operating leading brands across sports, everyday goods, health and beauty, properties, and logistics sectors. The deal will see JD expand its presence in the Middle East and under the terms of the 10-year agreement,…
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Jun- 2023 -27 June
JD Sports on track to hit £1bn in profits this year
JD Sports has revealed that the headline profit before tax and adjusted items for the year ending 3 February 2024 will be in line with the group’s expected £1.04bn. The board said it also expects that the phasing of the profit in the current year will reflect a “normalised” trading…
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20 June
Peloton UK losses widen to £210m
The UK arm of Peloton has announced losses of £210m for the year ended 30 June 2022, nearly double the £81m loss it posted last year. Furthermore, the company saw a 13% decrease in turnover from £147m down to £128m. Peloton attributed the decrease in turnover down to slowing sales…
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19 June
Fanatics acquires Fexpro to expand business in Latin America
Fanatics, a global digital sports platform and provider of licensed sports merchandise, has completed its acquisition of Fexpro, a leading wholesaler of licensed sports and branded apparel serving Latin America. Headquartered in Panama with a presence across Latin America, Fexpro is a preferred licensee for several major US sports leagues…
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