JD Sports Fashion Plc plans to open 16 additional stores in Spain, including two in Madrid.

The UK-based owner of the JD, DTLR, Shoe Palace, Finish Line, and Hibbett retail brands in the U.S. already has 130 stores in Spain operating under the Sprinter banner. The company opened its first store in Spain in 2012.

JD Sprinter is reportedly one of the leading sports retailers in Spain, offering a wide range of products, including footwear, apparel, accessories, and equipment for various sports, as well as lifestyle casual wear and children’s wear. Its offer includes international sports brands and private labels.

Considering both JD Sports and Sprinter stores, as of January 31, 2024, the company reportedly had 429 physical points of sale in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. At that date, the Spanish company employed 10,741 people, according to the Modaes, a digital publication in Spain.

Since October 10, 2023, JD Sports has owned 100 percent of its business in Spain after acquiring all shares in the Iberian Sports Retail Group, which operates the Sprinter, JD Sports, Sport Zone, and Deporvillage stores.

“ISRG is a highly successful business and one of the leading players in sports retail in Iberia. By bringing the two businesses closer together, there is significant potential for accelerating growth,” offered Régis Schultz, CEO of JD Sports Fashion Plc, when the company reiterated is acquisition plan in July 2023. We sincerely thank the minority shareholders, Balaiko and Sonae, for their important contributions to the business during our time as partners.”

The transaction, which closed on October 10, 2023, and amounted to €500 million ($531.2 million), saw JD acquire the Portuguese company Sonae and the Sprinter founders Segarra family’s 49.98 percent stake in the company. The joint venture between JD Sports and Sonae reportedly dates back to 2017, six years after the British group entered Spain with the purchase of Sprinter.

Iberian Sports Retail Group consolidates the businesses of the JD and Sprinter chains in Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands, as well as Sport Zone in the Canary Islands and the Deporvillage e-commerce platform. Although the three chains initially maintained their singular identity, the company has gradually transformed its points of sale to the JD brand, a key component of JD Sports’ “JD First” initiative.

In July 2024, JD Sports acquired Hibbett, adding 1,179 stores. In October, it completed the acquisition of Courir in France, adding 306 stores across Europe. At the end of 2024, JD Sports had 4,850 stores, 1,533 more than twelve months earlier.

Image courtesy JD Sports Fashion Plc

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See below for additional SGB Media coverage of JD Sports’ expansion.

EXEC: JD Sports Completes Shares Purchase of Iberian Sports Retail Group

EXEC: JD Sports Moves Forward to Acquire Balance of Iberian Sports Retail Group Shares