What JD Sports is known for
Founded in 1981 by John Wardle and David Makin, who opened a single sports-fashion shop in Bury, Greater Manchester (the name combines their initials); listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997 and expanded globally from there.
JD Sports was founded in 1981 by John Wardle and David Makin, who opened their first shop in Bury, Greater Manchester, selling branded trainers and sportswear. The company's name is simply the combined initials of its two founders. The chain grew steadily through the 1980s and 1990s, reaching more than 56 stores by 1996, before floating on the London Stock Exchange in 1997, which funded further UK expansion. Since then JD Sports Fashion plc has expanded well beyond its Bury origins into a global sneaker and sportswear retailer, acquiring other chains and opening stores across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, while still trading under the JD Sports name built from Wardle and Makin's initials in that first shop over four decades ago.
In the press
- Reuters 2025
How ORBIS reads this city
Best for — UK sportswear retail
Global
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