JD Sports appointed John Mersho to run North America right away, taking over from John Hall as he retires. Mersho has been the region's chief commercial officer since 2025 and comes from a family that started Shoe Palace in 1993. His marching orders: sharpen the merchandise mix, strengthen online capabilities, and lift brand awareness with shoppers.
The company also elevated Mike Grimes, a long-time executive, to global chief marketing officer after he previously held the same title for North America.
JD Sports, which owns the Hibbett and DLTR chains, is trying to pull out of a slump after sneaker sales came in soft and the company trimmed its full-year outlook. Since peaking in 2021, the stock has fallen by nearly 70%. On Tuesday, the shares eased by less than 1% in London trading. The board has also brought in former Ikea Group chief executive Peter Agnefjäll as chair to steer the turnaround.
North America is the company's biggest market, delivering 38% of revenue in the most recent fiscal year. Europe contributed 34%, with the UK generating just under a quarter. The broader athletic retail scene has been choppy too: late last month, Dick's Sporting Goods logged its largest one-day drop on record after discussing issues at Foot Locker and pointing to heavier promotions. The company noted that older sneaker designs are not connecting like before, without calling out specific brands.
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Fresh leadership, a sharpened product and e-commerce push, and a new chair signal JD is leaning into a reset while demand for some sneaker styles cools. If you follow consumer retail, the key threads to watch are North America execution, online traction, and how promotions play out across the sector.
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