Olympic legend and short-lived Borussia Dortmund triallist Usain Bolt will open JD Sports’ biggest store in the world at Manchester’s Trafford Centre this Saturday (7 June) – in a sense yet another World Record for the fastest man on legs.
The North West retail giant says the new, 41,000 sq foot-store, which is tripling in size, will be “setting a new benchmark for its stores worldwide.”
Régis Schultz, chief executive officer of JD Sports Fashion Plc, said: “The opening of our largest store in the world at the Trafford Centre is a proud and landmark moment for JD. We see the world through the mindset of our customer, know what they want and set the trends for them. This opening showcases JD’s relentless drive to bring our global customers exceptional retail experiences and differentiated product, backed by our strong brand partnerships. At the same time, it’s a celebration of our roots – Manchester has been close to the heart of JD’s journey since we opened our first store in Bury in 1981. As we continue to expand our footprint across the world, the Trafford Centre store represents the future of JD: bold, forward-thinking, and deeply connected to the communities we serve.”
The store will feature familiar brands such as Nike, adidas, Puma and On Running as well as JD brand exclusives from Unlike Humans and more.
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Usain Bolt will officially open the store with Beta Squad and fans will have the rare chance to showcase their running skills to the fastest man on the planet and make an unlikely attempt at beating Bolt’s world-record time on the Puma Nitro 100 metre sprint challenge.
Marcus Briggs, managing director at Pradera Lateral, Trafford Centre’s asset management firm, added: “The anticipation and excitement has been building for this opening of JD’s Trafford Centre flagship store. The respective property, marketing and design teams have worked extremely hard to deliver a store of global significance for our Trafford Centre visitors and we are all delighted with the outcome. We really value our longstanding partnership with JD.”
The launch weekend Saturday 7th June promises a stacked lineup including:
- Usain Bolt cutting the ribbon alongside Beta Squad and Chunkz
- Exclusive access to the Nike AM95: The Vault drop
- Special adidas giveaways and a creative adidas Originals Manchester Market showcasing local talent
- Meet-and-greets, mochi and matcha giveaways, free trims, and customisation zones
- The biggest product showcase from brands like Nike, adidas, PUMA, The North Face, and JD exclusives
Image: Neil/Creative Commons
