A UK-founded global sports fashion retailer, started in Bury, Greater Manchester, selling trainers, sportswear and outdoor gear through JD Sports and other brands.
JD Sports Fashion, often just called JD, sells trainers, sports clothing and outdoor gear to young shoppers who care about sport, music and fashion. Its main brand is JD Sports, and its group also includes Size?, Footpatrol, Blacks, Millets, Tiso, GO Outdoors and JD Gyms, among others, so it covers everything from sneakers to camping equipment.
JD was founded in 1981 by John Wardle and David Makin, whose initials give the company its name. They started with one shop in Bury, Greater Manchester, and opened in Manchester's Arndale Centre in 1983. Today the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a FTSE 100 member. It has grown into a worldwide business, with its own figures giving 4,850 stores in 49 countries and more than 97,000 colleagues as at 1 February 2025.
In its own words, JD's vision is "Connect globally, inspire locally, empower individually." Its mission is to set the global standard for retail experience through strong operations, connected customer experiences and authentic brands. Its values are listed as competitive, entrepreneurial, committed, ethical and team orientated. The JD Foundation, the company charity, supports organisations that help disadvantaged young people.
In the UK, JD's head office is in Bury, Greater Manchester, close to where it started, and the company has a distribution warehouse in Rochdale. JD Sports stores are found in towns and cities across the UK, and the group's outdoor brands such as Blacks, Millets and GO Outdoors add many more UK shops. About a fifth of sales are made online, so there are also roles in e-commerce, digital marketing and customer service.
The people at JD work in stores as sales colleagues and managers, in head office teams such as buying, merchandising, marketing, finance, technology and HR, and in warehouses and logistics. These are the company's own descriptions of its scale and aims, so it is worth asking staff how they feel in practice. We did not find a UK-only store or headcount figure. The JD Foundation also means some colleagues work on community and charity activity as well as retail. JD sells through its own websites and apps as well as its shops, and sport, music and fashion partnerships with brands shape what the buying and marketing teams do. Check the JD plc website for current roles and locations.
Website: www.jdplc.com
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