The Foschini Group (TFG) is set to bring British sportswear retail giant JD Sports to the South African market through a newly established franchise agreement with the group.
As JD Sports’ exclusive retail partner in the region, TFG’s CEO Anthony Thunström said the company would be bolstering its existing sports positioning, building on its portfolio of similar brands, including Sportscene, Totalsports and Sneaker Factory.
Thunström continued: “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.”
For JD, meanwhile, the deal builds on the company’s ongoing global growth strategy through which it is aiming to expand into underpenetrated markets, and comes as part of its ‘JD Brand First’ plan.
As such, TFG is set to open over 40 JD stores over the next five years in South Africa, each of which will house a selection of global brands including Nike, Adidas, New Balance and Under Armour.
In his own statement, 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.”
