The Authentic Brands Group (ABG) has secured an agreement with JD Sports Fashion for Reebok to be available for sale in all its 2,850 stores in Europe and North America, including those operating under the JD, Size?, Finish Line, DTLR, Shoe Palace, Sprinter and SportZone and their associated e-commerce platforms.
We could not determine the terms of the non-exclusive agreement, which will become effective with the autumn 2022 season, featuring an expanded assortment of Reebok products, after the brand becomes a property of ABG during the first quarter of 2022. It is likely that JD will have access to special make-ups at special conditions.
As the JD group has become the world’s second-largest integrated sporting goods retailer after Decathlon, other major retailers will probably want to offer the brand, too, as long as its product are sufficiently good and desirable.
We see an interesting connection between the fact that JD Sports Fashion is ultimately controlled by the family of Stephen Rubin via Pentland Group, and the fact that Rubin, who has been nicknamed by our American colleagues as Sir Sneaker, invested in Reebok for a while, cashing out with a nice capital gain.
In a press release, Peter Cowgill, executive chairman of JD, commented the contract with these words: “Reebok is an iconic global lifestyle brand with strong resonance across all JD channels and we are thrilled to partner with ABG to introduce new and exciting products to our legacy customers and JD’s growing Gen Z audience. Reebok fits squarely into our sports and active lifestyle verticals, and we look forward to maximizing Reebok’s potential by building on the brand’s incredible heritage.”
