JD Sports has slashed its full-year profit guidance after sales deteriorated in its second quarter, driven by a sharp drop in its key North American market.

The company now expects profit before tax and adjusting items of between £700m and £800m for its 2026/27 financial year, down from its previous forecast of £750m to £850m.

Group like-for-like sales fell 3.1 per cent in the 13 weeks to 1 August, worsening from the 2.5 per cent decline recorded in its first quarter.

Trading was particularly weak in North America, which accounts for around 40 per cent of JD Sports’ sales, where like-for-likes plunged 6.8 per cent.

JD Sports attributed the decline to ‘weaker consumer sentiment, a slower period for sought-after footwear launches and some back-to-school demand shifting’ from July into the first half of August.

Elsewhere, like-for-like sales dropped 2.7 per cent across Europe, while the UK returned to growth with sales up 0.8 per cent. Asia Pacific also delivered a 1.4 per cent increase.

JD’s revised £700m to £800m profit forecast compares with the £852m profit before tax and adjusting items it delivered in its previous financial year.

The company has faced a challenging sportswear market as pressure on younger consumers weighs on spending, alongside heavy promotional activity and a quieter footwear innovation cycle.

JD has also been navigating changing product trends at Nike, which accounts for around 45 per cent of its sales, as the sportswear brand works through its own turnaround strategy.

It marks a reversal from the improvement JD had seen in North America towards the end of its previous financial year, when it pointed to market share gains and stepped-up marketing investment in the region.

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