22
August 2024
JD SPORTS FASHION
PLC
Q225 TRADING
UPDATE
Strong, agile multi-brand
model delivers 8.3% organic sales growth and 2.4% like-for-like
sales growth in Q2
JD Sports Fashion Plc (the 'Group'),
the leading retailer of sports, fashion and outdoor brands, today
announces its second quarter trading update for the 13 weeks to 3
August 2024 (the 'period').
Régis Schultz, CEO of JD
Sports Fashion Plc, said: "I am pleased to report
like-for-like sales growth of 2.4% and organic sales growth of 8.3%
in the second quarter, demonstrating the strength and agility of
our multi-brand model. In particular, we saw double-digit organic
sales growth in North America and Europe, supported by the
continued success of our JD store rollout programme. We completed
the acquisition of Hibbett, Inc. just before the period end and we
look forward to its contribution to the growth and development of
our US business in the coming years. Based on our first-half
trading, we remain on track to deliver profit within our full-year
guidance."
Trading for the Group in the period,
on a constant currency basis, was in line with our expectations.
Like-for-like ('LFL') sales were up 2.4% and organic sales were up
8.3%. As a consequence, first half LFL sales were up 0.7% and
organic sales were up 6.4%. The quarter-on-quarter ('QOQ') trading
improvement was driven primarily by the strength of our multi-brand
operating model and softer comparatives with the previous
year.
Regionally, LFL growth was strongest
in North America (+5.7%) and Europe (+3.0%), while the UK improved
materially QOQ. Organic growth was achieved in all regions, led by
North America with 13.7% growth. All three main segments - JD,
Complementary Concepts and Sporting Goods & Outdoor - achieved
LFL growth and the JD segment benefitted from new store openings to
deliver 11% organic growth.
While the overall market remains
volatile, we showed good promotional discipline and managed
inventory proactively to support gross margins in the period. Gross
margin for the Group in the period was 48.4%, down 30 basis points
(bps) on last year. This decline was seen mainly in apparel and
online, where its higher penetration resulted in the UK being most
impacted. The first half gross margin for the Group was therefore
48.3%, 10 bps below last year and inventory levels at the end of
the period were as we expected.
We completed the acquisition of
Hibbett, Inc. ('Hibbett') on 25 July 2024*, just ahead of the
period end. Hibbett is a great addition to our Complementary
Concepts segment in North America and adds material scale and
presence in the US through its 1,179 stores, strengthening further
our brand relationships in the world's largest sportswear market.
Hibbett, with its strong community presence, also provides an
enhanced platform for the mall-led, nationwide growth of the JD
brand in North America through its efficient supply chain and
strong back office.
During the first half, we opened 85
new JD stores, which along with the Hibbett acquisition and the
ongoing disposal of non-core stores, meant we ended the first half
with 4,506 stores, up 1,189 from the start of the year.
The global macro environment remains
volatile and so we continue to be cautious on our outlook for the
rest of the year. Notwithstanding this, based on our first half
trading and allowing for an anticipated c.£15m headwind at current
exchange rates due to a stronger pound, we are maintaining our
guidance range of profit before tax and adjusting items of £955m to
£1,035m, on a pre-Hibbett basis.
Additional information for analysts
and investors has been added to our corporate website,
www.jdplc.com/investor-relations/reports-presentations,
along with historic restatements relating to the voluntary change
in accounting policy with regards to amortisation of acquired
intangible assets and a reallocation of FY24 segmental and
sub-segmental operating profit.
* Sales from Hibbett will be
excluded from like-for-like and organic sales metrics for the first
12 months following acquisition
Regional revenue
performance
Q225
|
Like-for-like
|
Organic
|
UK
|
(0.8)%
|
1.2%
|
Europe
|
3.0%
|
10.5%
|
North America
|
5.7%
|
13.7%
|
Asia Pacific
|
0.1%
|
10.5%
|
Group
|
2.4%
|
8.3%
|
H125
|
Like-for-like
|
Organic
|
UK
|
(3.0)%
|
(1.8)%
|
Europe
|
1.9%
|
10.1%
|
North America
|
3.3%
|
10.7%
|
Asia Pacific
|
0.2%
|
10.5%
|
Group
|
0.7%
|
6.4%
|
Segmental revenue
performance
Q225
|
Like-for-like
|
Organic
|
JD
|
2.7%
|
11.0%
|
Complementary Concepts
|
1.9%
|
1.7%
|
Sporting Goods &
Outdoor
|
1.6%
|
1.9%
|
Other
|
(6.0)%
|
(6.1)%
|
Group
|
2.4%
|
8.3%
|
H125
|
Like-for-like
|
Organic
|
JD
|
0.6%
|
8.5%
|
Complementary Concepts
|
1.6%
|
1.5%
|
Sporting Goods &
Outdoor
|
0.7%
|
1.7%
|
Other
|
(3.5)%
|
(2.6)%
|
Group
|
0.7%
|
6.4%
|
Enquiries:
JD
Sports Fashion
Plc
Tel: 0161 767 1000
Régis Schultz, Chief Executive
Officer
Dominic Platt, Chief Financial
Officer
Mark Blythman, Director of Investor
Relations
Advisors
Bank of America - Antonia
Rowan
Tel: 0207 628 1000
Peel Hunt LLP - Dan
Webster
Tel: 0207 418 8869
FGS Global - Rollo Head, Jenny
Davey, James
Thompson
Tel: 0207 251 3801
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking
statements
This announcement contains certain
forward-looking statements relating to expected or anticipated
results, performance or events. Such statements are subject to
normal risks associated with the uncertainties in our business,
supply chain and consumer demand along with risks associated with
macro-economic, political and social factors in the markets in
which we operate. Whilst we believe that the expectations reflected
herein are reasonable based on the information we have as at the
date of this announcement, actual outcomes may vary significantly
owing to factors outside the control of the Group, such as cost of
materials or demand for our products, or within our control such as
our investment decisions, allocation of resources or changes to our
plans or strategy. The Group expressly disclaims any obligation to
revise forward-looking statements made in this or other
announcements to reflect changes in our expectations or
circumstances. No reliance may be placed on the forward-looking
statements contained within this announcement.
Analyst and investor Q&A
A call with analysts and investors
will take place at 0900 (BST) on 22 August 2024. To register for
the live audio cast (listen only), please use the following
link: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/957232110.
To register for the live conference call (option to ask questions),
please use the following link: https://registrations.events/direct/Q4I259835.
Financial calendar
02 October 2024: H125
results
November 2024: Q325 trading
update
January 2025: Trading
update
About JD Sports Fashion Plc
Founded in 1981, the JD Group ('JD')
is a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion brands.
JD provides customers with the latest sports fashion through
working with established and new brands to deliver products that
our customers most want, across both footwear and apparel. The
vision of JD is to inspire the emerging generation of consumers
through a connection to the universal culture of sport, music and
fashion. JD focuses on four strategic pillars: JD Brand First,
first priority, first in the world; leveraging Complementary
Concepts to support JD Group global expansion; moving Beyond
Physical Retail by building the right infrastructure and creating a
lifestyle ecosystem of relevant products and services; and doing
the best for its People, Partners and Communities. JD is a
constituent of the FTSE 100 index and had 4,506 stores worldwide at
3 August 2024.