JD Sports boss Régis Schultz said he expects some pushback from staff on the recent mandate to return to the office four days a week.
However, he defends the move as the “right way to do it.”
This policy, first reported by Retail Week on May 1, applies to JD Sports head office employees in the UK and globally, starting July 1.
The decision aligns with similar moves by major retailers like THG, Boots, L’Oréal, and Amazon.
Schultz said this trend is becoming more common in the business world and said employees unwilling or unable to comply with the new office requirement would not face termination.
He said: “We are certainly not the first ones to move on that side [returning to the office] and I think that we feel that that’s the right way to work.”
He acknowledged that change often brings resistance but expressed confidence that staff would understand and adapt.
Schultz’s comments came as JD Sports reported its financial results for the 52 weeks ending February 3, 2024.
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The company’s profits aligned with its January 2024 profit warning, with footwear sales increasing by 8.2 percent and apparel sales decreasing by 4.3 percent.
“We are certainly not the first ones to move on that side [returning to the office] and I think that we feel that that’s the right way to work”
Schultz noted that JD Sports’ performance in the UK mirrored trends in Europe and the US, highlighting a growing global preference for sneakers and athleisure wear.
He said: “We believe that in the long to mid-term we are on course in the market.”
Schultz added that the company was not experiencing inflationary pressures in the UK.
JD Sports’ decision to bring employees back to the office is part of a broader trend among companies to return to pre-pandemic work arrangements despite varying levels of employee pushback.
