JD Sports bigs up dressing down as profits leap 88%

Britain is becoming a nation more casually dressed than ever before, according to retail chain JD Sports.

The retailer said that the dressed-down approach is now so popular it has helped the sportswear chain hit record profits, which rose 88% in the six months to August 1.

Chief finance officer Brian Small explained: “Trainers are very fashionable at the moment and people are dressing more casually.

“We market ourselves as unrivalled, particularly for trainers, and we’ve really got that across to the consumer.”

Pre-tax profits hit £44.7 million, with sales up 21% to £810 million.

The firm has performed strongly over the past two years, as it moves to a more premium position from its bitter rival Sports Direct.

But Small warned that record growth would not continue indefinitely.

Its outdoor brands, Blacks, Millets and Ultimate Outdoors, continue to make losses.

Meanwhile, Zara’s owner Inditex benefited from a revival on its native Spanish high streets, helping the world’s largest fashion retailer hit net profits for the three months to July of €1.16 billion (£853 million), up 26%.