JD Sports is pressing ahead with a major review of its retail estate, with planned closures of around 170 underperforming Hibbett stores in the United States over three years and further targeted closures in the UK and Europe.
The British sportswear group confirmed the Hibbett programme in its half-year results published on 23 September 2026. The company said it was targeting smaller, lower-performing outlets in rural areas where local demand does not support its future plans, while continuing to open stores in locations with stronger growth prospects.
The changes form part of JD Sports’ strategy to improve sales and profitability across its international network rather than simply increase the number of shops it operates. The company is seeking to concentrate investment on stores that can attract more customers, offer a stronger product range and generate better returns.
There is an important distinction for British shoppers, however. The plan to close around 170 Hibbett stores concerns the US chain, not 170 JD Sports shops in the UK. JD Sports is also reducing and relocating some British stores, but its latest results show a wider strategy that includes opening larger flagship outlets and investing in online shopping.
As of 1 August 2026, JD Group operated 4,766 stores across 35 countries. That was down from 4,811 at the start of its financial year, despite the opening of 136 stores during the six-month period. The figures include openings, closures, relocations and conversions across the group’s brands.
How many Hibbett stores is JD Sports planning to close?
JD Sports plans to close approximately 170 lower-performing Hibbett stores over three years. The figure is a target for the programme, not a list of confirmed individual closures with dates and addresses.
Hibbett is a US sporting goods and footwear retailer acquired by JD Sports in 2024 for approximately $1.1 billion. The acquisition gave the British group a much larger presence in the American market, particularly in the south-east of the country.
The closure plan reflects a reassessment of that network after the acquisition. JD Sports said the stores being considered for closure are mainly in smaller, rural locations where local demographics do not support Hibbett’s future retail strategy. At the same time, the company expects to continue opening around 20 to 30 stores a year in higher-growth areas.
The company’s earlier financial figures show that Hibbett had already been reducing its estate. During the financial year ending 31 January 2026, it recorded 61 closures and 44 new openings, leaving 982 stores at the year-end. In the first half of the following financial year, it recorded another 33 closures and 13 openings, with its reported estate standing at 962 stores on 1 August 2026.
Those numbers do not mean every closure is part of a single new announcement. Retailers routinely open, close, relocate and convert stores as leases end and trading conditions change. The additional programme of around 170 Hibbett closures is the company’s stated plan for the coming three years.
For customers, the immediate practical point is that not every Hibbett location is expected to shut. The strategy is designed to retain and invest in stores that fit the company’s future plans, while withdrawing from outlets it considers less productive.
Are JD Sports shops closing in the UK?
Yes, JD Sports has closed some UK stores as part of its broader review, but the latest company figures do not indicate a nationwide shutdown of the chain.
In its half-year results, JD Sports said it had exited a net 17 UK stores during the 26 weeks to 1 August 2026. The same period included new flagship store openings in Cardiff and at Meadowhall in Sheffield, alongside targeted refurbishments and relocations.
The company described its approach as “fewer, bigger, better”. The aim is to focus on locations that can serve a larger catchment area and generate stronger sales, rather than maintain every existing shop regardless of performance.
A net reduction is different from the total number of closures. It accounts for openings as well as closures and can also be affected by relocations or changes in how stores are classified. JD’s reported net reduction of 17 UK stores should therefore not be read as a list of 17 specific shops that have all closed permanently.
The company has not identified every affected UK location in the half-year results. Shoppers who want to check a particular branch should use the official JD Sports store locator or look for a notice from their local shopping centre or store.
The UK changes also need to be distinguished from developments elsewhere in the group. JD Sports owns or operates several retail brands, including Hibbett, DTLR, Shoe Palace, Courir and outdoor businesses. A closure involving one of those brands does not automatically mean a JD Sports shop in Britain is affected.
Why is JD Sports closing stores?
JD Sports’ stated priority is to improve the productivity of its retail estate. In practice, that means assessing whether individual shops generate enough sales and profit to justify their rent, staffing, stock and operating costs.
A large store can offer a broader range of products, accommodate more stock and provide space for product displays and customer services. A smaller outlet may struggle to deliver the same commercial return if it serves a limited local market or cannot stock enough of the products customers want.
The company’s half-year results point to several pressures on the wider business. Group sales for the 26 weeks to 1 August 2026 fell by 0.8% at constant exchange rates, while like-for-like sales declined by 2.8%. Profit before tax and adjusting items fell to £282 million from £351 million in the comparable period a year earlier. JD Sports attributed the trading backdrop partly to pressure on household spending, changes in footwear product cycles and a highly promotional market.
These figures help explain why the group is reviewing its store network, although they do not establish that every closure is directly caused by falling sales. Decisions can also depend on lease terms, the strength of nearby shopping destinations, local demographics and whether a shop can be relocated to a more productive site.
For Hibbett, JD Sports has specifically identified smaller and rural locations as the focus of the planned closures. In the UK, its strategy is also to move towards larger flagship stores and improve existing sites.
The company is therefore pursuing a selective approach: reduce its presence where it sees limited potential, while continuing to invest where it expects stronger demand. This is different from a full retreat from physical retail.
What does the “fewer, bigger, better” strategy mean?
The phrase describes JD Sports’ plan to make its store portfolio more productive rather than pursue growth simply by adding outlets.
A larger store in a busy shopping destination can carry more stock, display a wider range of footwear and clothing, and offer a more prominent brand experience. It may also give the retailer a stronger position within a city or regional shopping centre.
JD Sports has continued to invest in that model in Britain. Its latest half-year results cited flagship openings in Cardiff and at Meadowhall in Sheffield, alongside refurbishment work at other stores. The company said it was using lease flexibility to relocate or resize outlets where a different site could improve productivity.
The strategy has implications for high streets and shopping centres. A store closure can leave a vacant unit and reduce footfall for nearby businesses, particularly in smaller towns where a major retailer attracts regular visitors. Conversely, investment in a larger flagship shop can support a destination shopping area if it draws customers from a wider region.
The effect will vary from place to place. A closure in a rural American town where Hibbett is a key sporting goods retailer may have different consequences from the closure of a smaller JD Sports branch close to another store or a major shopping centre.
The company’s results do not provide enough information to assess the local impact of each planned closure. That would require details of the affected locations, nearby alternatives and the products or services available elsewhere.
What about JD Sports’ other brands?
The restructuring is not limited to Hibbett. JD Sports operates a portfolio of retail businesses across sports fashion, footwear and outdoor equipment, and each brand faces different trading conditions.
In North America, the group is converting former City Gear outlets into DTLR and Shoe Palace stores. JD Sports said early results from remodelled stores were encouraging, with converted locations performing significantly better than in the previous year. It also reported 33 Hibbett closures during the first half of its financial year.
In Europe, JD Sports has been restructuring its German operation. The company said it reduced the German JD store network from 91 locations to 62, completing that consolidation in August 2026. It has also begun reorganising JD and Sizeer operations in parts of eastern Europe, with some stores expected to move to a franchise model, subject to regulatory approvals.
The British outdoor business is undergoing changes too. JD Sports said it had exited the Ultimate Outdoors fascia and reduced the number of outdoor stores by 19 during the half-year period. The group’s outdoor portfolio includes Go Outdoors, Blacks and Millets, although the company’s results do not say that all three chains are closing or being withdrawn from the market.
These changes illustrate why a single headline about “JD Sports store closures” can be misleading. The group is consolidating some brands, converting others and investing in selected locations, rather than applying the same approach to every shop.
Will JD Sports close more stores in 2026 and 2027?
Further changes are likely as the company carries out its announced restructuring, but the timing and locations will depend on individual plans. JD Sports has set out a three-year programme for Hibbett and has confirmed that store productivity remains a priority across its other businesses.
Its half-year results, published on 23 September 2026, did not provide a complete list of future UK JD Sports closures. Nor did they announce that all stores in a particular British city or region would shut. Reports claiming that a specific branch is closing should therefore be checked against a company announcement, a store notice or reliable local reporting.
The group’s next scheduled trading update was listed for 19 November 2026. That could provide further information about performance and the progress of its strategy, although it should not be assumed that the company will publish a full list of closure locations at that time.
For now, the clearest confirmed figures are the planned closure of around 170 Hibbett stores in the US over three years and the net reduction of 17 JD stores in the UK during the first half of the 2026/27 financial year. Those figures describe different parts of the group and should not be combined into a single UK closure total.
How customers can check whether their local store is affected
Customers concerned about a particular branch should check the retailer’s official store locator and look for notices displayed at the shop or issued by the shopping centre. A store disappearing from a search result is not always proof of a permanent closure, since branches can relocate or temporarily suspend trading.
For Hibbett customers in the United States, the company’s own website is the most direct place to check current store details. UK shoppers should use the JD Sports UK store locator rather than rely on reports about Hibbett, which operates in a different market.
Customers with an online order, a return or a gift receipt should also check the retailer’s current terms and contact its customer service team if their local branch closes. The treatment of returns and collection orders can depend on the retailer’s policy and the type of purchase.
JD Sports’ restructuring reflects a wider effort to balance physical shops with online sales. In the first half of 2026/27, online sales represented 20% of group sales, up from 19% a year earlier, while the company continued to invest in its digital platforms.
The group is not abandoning its shops. Instead, it is trying to concentrate its physical presence in locations it believes can perform better, while using online channels to reach customers elsewhere. Whether that approach succeeds will depend on consumer demand, the appeal of its product ranges and its ability to choose the right locations.
For British shoppers, the key takeaway is that JD Sports is reviewing its store estate, but the widely reported Hibbett closure plan concerns the US business. Some UK branches have already left the network, while larger flagship shops have opened. Further changes may follow, but individual UK closures should be treated as confirmed only when the company or a reliable local source identifies the store.