JD and Primark prove you can still be a winning retailer if you’re good at it

A rare sunny day dawned on the high street with both Primark and JD Sports reporting positive results. It’s worth noting that while the internet is held up as a major reason for the death of multiple retailers up and down Britain, Primark, while having an active online presence, doesn’t sell so much as a sock via that channel. When your product is offloaded as cheaply as its clobber, the economics of internet retail, with customers demanding free delivery and returns, don’t work. That leaves you reliant on old-fashioned stores that lots of other retailers are struggling to make pay. The Times reports on record results for JD Sports Fashion, the retailer whose overseas expansion has helped to drive a 200% rise in profits over the past three years. And the Guardian says that a “remarkable” performance from Primark in the UK helped Associated British Foods to offset both a fall in sugar prices and the Beast from the East winter storm. Click here for the full Independent article (£) Click here for the full Times JD article (£) Click here for the full Times Primark article (£) Click here for the full Guardian article