JD Sports is a sports fashion retailer of branded sports and casual wear, combining globally recognised brands such as Nike, adidas, Puma and The North Face, with strong private labels, such as Pink Soda and Supply & Demand, to provide an elevated consumer experience.
Anthony Thunström, TFG CEO, said, “We are excited to be the exclusive partner of JD Sports in South Africa. This partnership allows TFG to bring a new compelling international sports fashion offering to the South African market. This further bolsters our existing Sports positioning, with our Sportscene, Totalsports, and Sneaker Factory stores already being the destinations of choice for athletic and leisure sports apparel.”
Regis Schultz, CEO of JD Sports Fashion plc, said, “This franchise agreement is a further milestone in our ‘JD Brand First’ plan, and I am delighted to be working with TFG, one of South Africa’s most respected retailers, as we continue to bring JD’s distinctive offering to more customers globally.”
Thunström added, “Through our Group’s established customer base of more than 35 million South Africans, we are well positioned to introduce the JD brand to the region. We expect to launch the first new physical JD Sports stores by the end of the year.”
The deal marks the next stage of JD’s global growth strategy, and the partnership will enable JD to deliver on the roll out of its ‘JD Brand First’ plan and is a pivotal move in the continued expansion into underpenetrated markets. The signing of the agreement means that TFG will open more than 40 JD stores over the next five years in South Africa.
Strong brand partnerships are in the DNA of both JD and TFG, and the deal will provide substantial opportunity for both JD and TFG to showcase their unique multi-brand, omnichannel propositions.
Consumers will benefit from exclusive access to the latest styles from some of the world’s largest brands including Nike, adidas, New Balance, and Under Armour.
