JD Sports Fashion has finalized the acquisition of Courir

The takeover of Courir by JD Sports Fashion has just reached its conclusion. Courir has in fact just confirmed its move under the banner of the British group, following negotiations that began in 2023. As a reminder, the European Commission gave the green light in October 2024 to the acquisition of the Courir SAS Group by JD Sports. Also, to respond to the Commission’s competition concerns, JD Sports has proposed to sell all Courir stores located in Portugal and several stores located in certain regions of France to Snipesa direct competitor focused on recreational sporting goods retailing.

A buyout worth more than 500 million euros

In spring 2023, JD Sports therefore launched negotiations with Equistone Partners Europe, a private equity company based in London which owns the majority of the capital of Courir. A takeover agreement was signed in September 2023. The sum proposed by the British group was 520 million euros (325 million euros in cash and 195 million debt takeover). Based in France, Courir was then presented as a leading player in the sports clothing and footwear industry in Europewith 313 own-name stores, mainly in France but also in Spain, Belgium, Portugal, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Not to mention the 36 franchise stores in West Africa, the Middle East and the French overseas territories.

Founded in 1981 with a single store in the North West of England, the JD Sports Fashion group is today the world leader in the sneakers and sports fashion sector. The group now has more than 4,500 stores in 36 countries, with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. “This operation is an incredible opportunity for the Courir teams to be part of a group like JD which fits perfectly into the pursuit of our international growth and development strategy.“, underlines a representative of Courir.