Telegraph article on JD Sports - Gear

DoctorK

17/12/2005 at 14:09

Anyone seen the article in today's telegraph magazine? It merely confirms what we already know.
Writer goes into JD Sports for a new pair of running shoes (after last buying her shoes in California) thinking any shop called JD Sports would have running shoes.
They offered one make of shoe (Nike) and one only and when she asked if they were really a sports shop the assistant said "No Madam we're sports fashion, if you want running trainers then you need to go to a proper running shop."
She remarks that one of the biggest sportswear retailer in the country actually just sells what amounts to clothing for couch potatoes.

Well we already know all this of course but it is interesting to see it in print

Hobbling Harrier

17/12/2005 at 14:54

At least they're honest about it. COuld cause a lot more damamge if they insist that they actually are a running shop and sell her cr*p trainers. That said a running shop is just gonna sell her ones with a massive heel anyway :S.

Have to admit I've seen some of the shoes in JJB and equivalent shops (they do actually sell some decent vests at cut down prices and lots of their gear is fine just to warm up in), and they're completely fashion trainers often with no heel whatsoever and a flimsy sole and thought "actually that mght be quite a handy racing shoe".

Fell Liker

18/12/2005 at 14:29

I agree, Bryn, better to admit that they aren't a running shop. I still go into these type of 'sports' shops to look for the 'holy grail' of bargain buying - decent running trainers at a low price. For some reason, I seem to think that some jobsworth will have put a decent shoe on sale at a ridciulous price..........

DoctorK

18/12/2005 at 16:41

I agree there's a chance of a bargain at the likes of JJB, streetwise sports etc etc (like the tracksters I got for a fiver at JJB) it just seems there isn't much of a chance at JD Sports

Dave Sportsmad

18/12/2005 at 18:48

most of those high street shops are crap - they are not sports shops at all. Reminiscing now (come from Liverpool) but there were once shops like Jack Sharps on Renshaw Street - real sports shops - and plenty more like them throughout UK I am sure. Why have we let our country turn into a string of chain stores selling us overpriced crap ??

DoctorK

19/12/2005 at 08:16

Probably because of price rather than anything else.
In Bolton Foot Traffic is the running shop and Tobutts for all sports -properly -you can buy cricket gear,table tennis bats, tennis gear, running stuff,footie etc etc as it always was.

fat buddha

19/12/2005 at 09:36

there's a new SportsWorld opened down my way about 50m from a JJB Sports shop.......

I thought JJB was bad enough until I ventured into the other........it should be called ChavWorld...........makes JJB look positively interesting

cougie

pirate

19/12/2005 at 09:47

We haven't let our country turn into a string of chain stores selling us crap - we demand it.

And imagine if JJB really did sell the volumes they sell to runners - all our favourite paths and routes would be overcrowded.

If chavs want to buy Flash Nike Shox to hang round the shopping mall - let them. I don't care as I don't normally go there.

Nelle

19/12/2005 at 09:48

We've had a huge SportsWorld open near us, so we went over to investigate & sure enough, it lived up to our expectations-utter rubbish. One assistant took exception to my remark to my husband that the most excercise people get who use this type of shop is opening the packaging & said" we're a proper sports shop".. shut up quite quickly when i asked her how many people she knew would do much sport wearing a candy g-string!

Brooks the beast

19/12/2005 at 14:20

Agree Bryn that it was refreshing for them to be honest. Most of the assistants don't understand that though.

There is a place for sports fashion as long as people don't confuse it with the real thing.

A shop in Luton used to sell spikes singly i.e. i'd like 3x9mm spikes. Now that is a sports shop.

Le Greg

19/12/2005 at 15:10

Completely off topic (or is it
?) but I wonder when the Sun will openly admit they're not a newspaper...

hammerite

19/12/2005 at 17:51

Slightly different scenario, I used to work in an independant football shop as a student. We were basically the same as most running shops except specialising in football (BTB - you could buy individual studs from us and we had about 10 different types!).

We were very knowledgable and worked with most of the more serious local sides as well as the local Saturday/Sunday league teams/players.

Although we still did a roaring trade in shirts and memorabilia.

One day our boss (owner) had a horrible idea and bought in a load of skateboards, basketball shirts and rubbish like that. Basically instead of being good at what we knew he thought it would be good to try and get on the same band wagon as JJB, SportsWorld (or Sport and Soccer/Sport and Ski as they were then!) and Allsports.

Basically he stretched the company too far and about 12 months after "expanding" the company went under. I can really only put this down to him not knowing the new market he's decided to move into.

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