JD Sports has extended its retail partnership with Nike Connected membership – making it the sportswear giant’s first global partner for the popular rewards programme.
The programme – which links directly to the sports retailer’s loyalty scheme JD Status – was successfully launched across the UK in September 2022. At the time, JD Sports was Nike Connected’s first European sports retail partner within the integrated loyalty scheme.
Extending the programme will give JD’s US customers access to exclusive Nike member-only footwear and apparel when they link their JD Status and Nike Membership accounts.
Once the two loyalty schemes are linked, customers unlock an instant reward bonus, curated collections and early access to select Nike member products, as well as exclusive experiences and services.
“Becoming Nike’s first global Connected member partner strengthens our long-standing, strategic relationship with the brand,” said JD Sports CEO Régis Schultz.
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“We want to redefine how brands and retailers work together to set a global standard for customer experience in our stores and across our digital channels – and this means making sure we find new ways to reward loyalty.”
The announcement underscores JD Sports’ current focus on the US market. The sports giant announced at its full year results in May 2024 that its current success in North America was built upon larger stores, a broader sales mix and compelling brand partner relationships.
“This partnership cements JD’s position as the leading global omnichannel retailer of sports fashion brands, providing our extremely brand-conscious customers with the products they want most across footwear and apparel,” Schultz continued.
“We want our customers to shop with JD knowing they are accessing the very best of what our partner brands have to offer, giving them the confidence that they are at the forefront of the trends shaping sports fashion.”
The JD Status loyalty programme has been a runaway success in the US, with the 5.1m active members typically shopping twice as regularly as non-loyalty customers. It will be launching across the rest of Europe this summer.