UK's JD Sports Confident on Forecasts after First-half Beat

A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
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UK's JD Sports Confident on Forecasts after First-half Beat

A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
A logo is seen outside the newly renovated JD Sports store at Westfield Stratford City in London, Britain, July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo

British sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion beat a consensus forecast for first-half profit and said it was on track to meet annual guidance, showing its multi-brand strategy working at a time when Nike is struggling.
The FTSE 100-listed group, which sells Nike, Adidas, On, HOKA and other brands in Britain, Europe and the United States, said on Wednesday it would meet targets, despite what it called a competitive and promotional marketplace.
Nike on Tuesday posted disappointing quarterly sales growth and
warned
its holiday season would likely to be filled with discounts.
For the 26 weeks to Aug. 3, JD Sports posted adjusted pretax profit of 405.6 million pounds ($538.35 million), ahead of analyst expectations of 384 million pounds.
"Our success is a direct reflection of the strength and agility of our global, multi-brand strategy, which allows us to adapt swiftly to fast-changing industry trends across the world," Reuters quoted Chief Executive Regis Schultz as saying in a statement.
The group also reiterated its guidance for annual profit of between 955 million pounds and 1.035 billion pounds.



PUMA Opens New Creative Hub to Foster Excellence in Design

Studio48 is part of the company’s strategy to create sustainable growth by elevating the brand. AP
Studio48 is part of the company’s strategy to create sustainable growth by elevating the brand. AP
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PUMA Opens New Creative Hub to Foster Excellence in Design

Studio48 is part of the company’s strategy to create sustainable growth by elevating the brand. AP
Studio48 is part of the company’s strategy to create sustainable growth by elevating the brand. AP

Sports company PUMA has opened Studio48, a new creative hub at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, where its designers and creatives can come together to freely develop new ideas and create concepts for new performance and Sportstyle products as well as campaigns.

Studio48 is part of the company’s strategy to create sustainable growth by elevating the brand.

“With the new Studio48 we are creating a significant tool to enhance the excellence of our designs and elevate the brand,” said PUMA’s Vice President Creative Direction & Innovation Heiko Desens. “While many of our products are created digitally, Studio48 will be a space for a different kind of creativity, where our designers from different departments can brainstorm together, exchange best practices, experience new materials and touch and feel the products they want to make.”

While Studio48 can be used by the company’s designers and creatives all year round, the space will also play an important part when hosting external partners or bringing PUMA’s global design community together for workshops and events.

As part of the opening event in December, PUMA hosted a workshop at Studio48 by US-based upcycler Nicole McLaughlin, who shared her vision on circularity. The event was joined by PUMA designers across all product categories from several of the company’s worldwide locations.