Equistone Partners Europe (“Equistone”), one of Europe’s most established mid-market private equity investors, today announces the completion of its €520m sale of Groupe Courir S.A.S (“Courir”), a leading French retailer of sneakers, to JD Sports Fashion Plc. Completion follows receipt of conditional clearance from the European Commission on 22 October 2024 and the satisfaction of all other outstanding conditions.

With over 320 stores across Europe, including one of the largest store networks in France, and a growing omnichannel approach, Courir has rapidly established itself as a leading retailer in sneakers, particularly amongst women.

Since carving out the company from Groupe Go Sport in 2019, Equistone has worked closely with the Courir management team on realising an ambitious growth strategy.  During the investment period, Courir continued to expand its footprint across Europe and, with Equistone’s support, acquired Denmark-based online retailer Naked in July 2021. Since 2019, the business has significantly developed its revenue from €390m to €735m in 2023.

Equistone deal team said: “We are proud to have worked so closely with Courir’s management team on building a company which has become a leading European retailer in sportswear. The company’s growing omnichannel approach, pan-European expansion and consistently strong financial performance is testament to the effectiveness of our partnership. In JD Sports, Courir has the ideal partner for the next stage of its growth journey, and we wish the team all the best.”

Régis Schultz, CEO of JD Sports Fashion Plc, said: “The completion of our acquisition of Courir is an exciting milestone for our “Complementary Concepts” strategy in Europe and we look forward to working with its experienced management team as we deliver on our growth plans. This acquisition will broaden the JD Group’s customer reach adding a more female, fashion-conscious and older customer base to complement the Group’s core customers.”