JD Sports is set to enter Mexico through a long-term franchise partnership with retail giant Grupo Axo.
The deal will see Grupo Axo operate more than 140 JD locations across Mexico from 2027, using its existing estate of sneaker stores to establish the brand in the market.
Selected sites are expected to be expanded and revamped over time to adopt JD’s larger “bigger and better” flagship format.
Grupo Axo will also operate JD’s Mexican ecommerce business under the agreement, using its brand and intellectual property and drawing on its own-label and exclusive product ranges across footwear, apparel and accessories.
It marksJD’s first entry into Mexico and builds on its existing North American presence in the US and Canada, which accounted for 38 per cent of group sales in the year to 31 January 2026.
JD said Mexico presented a significant growth opportunity, with more than 130m people and around 40 per cent of the population aged under 25.
The country’s activewear market is currently worth around £4.8bn and is forecast to exceed almost £8bn by 2034, according to IMARC data.
JD Sports chief executive Régis Schultz said entering Mexico represented an “exciting milestone” for the business and pointed to Grupo Axo’s local expertise and three-decade history of working with international brands.
He said the deal formed another step in JD’s “JD Brand First” strategy, which is focused on turning its core fascia into a leading global sports fashion destination.
Grupo Axo operates across Mexico, Chile, Peru and Uruguay and works with brands including Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Coach, Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret and The North Face.
Its wider network spans more than 1,000 direct-to-consumer stores, 44 digital stores and more than 7,500 wholesale concessions.
Grupo Axo chairman and chief executive Andrés Gómez said JD’s brand relationships and product proposition would complement the group’s existing retail platform and knowledge of Mexican shoppers.
The agreement also expands JD’s growing franchise business. JD and Courir currently operate 75 franchise stores across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with the group increasingly using local partners to enter new markets.
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