JD Sports is rolling out new RFID technology to modernise inventory management across its stores in Europe.

The technology, developed by Checkpoint Systems, aims to help the sports fashion retailer improve shelf availability and make more accurate, data-driven inventory-focused decisions.

The move follows a pilot in the second half of 2024 across five stores in the UK, France, and Spain.

Since then, the company has completed a full Software as a Service rollout.

By the end of 2025, the company launched its initial phase, with over 400 stores going live with the technology in the UK and Ireland.

The deployment will expand across Europe by the end of 2026, reaching nearly 1,000 stores.

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group now has 4,850 stores across 49 countries, with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.

During the pilot phase, JD Sports reported a 12 per cent increase in on-shelf availability and a 20 per cent improvement in restocking speed with a 95 per cent increase in items found, driven by the real-time insights and operational agility provided by the platform.

Daniel McGrath, JD Group head of customer operations said that the company is excited to take its partnership to the "next level" over the coming months and years ahead, praising the teams involved in the deployment for working "tirelessly" and in "very short timelines".

Last week, it was reported that British sportswear giant is planning to enable its US customers to search for and purchase items directly through major AI platforms, including Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT.

Customers will be able to complete their purchases within the AI platform itself, using integrated checkout and payment systems.

When asking an AI assistant for trainers, clothing or accessories, the new system immediately display JD's catalogue.

---