British retailer JD Sports reported a 57 per cent jump in full-year headline profit before tax and exceptional items, as sales of sports and fashion products continued to surge on the UK high street.

JD Sports, which alongside its core sports retail business runs fashion and outdoor retail outlets such as Scotts and Blacks, said headline profit before tax and exceptional items rose to £157.1 million in the year ended January 30, from £100 million a year earlier.

Investec analysts call the profit figure 5 per cent ahead of consensus estimates, adding that several years of stores and infrastructure investment are starting to pay off.

Like-for-like store sales at its core sports fashion business rose by over 10 percent in the period.

The company, which rivals Sports Direct in Britain, said in January that it expects full-year profit above market expectations after a “very strong” Christmas.

Reuters