The French sneaker chain Courir, whose purchase by JD Sports was announced in May 2023 but has yet to be finalised, is considering selling 15 of its French stores to one of its competitors, Snipes. Snipes, a German brand founded in 1998, entered the French market in 2018 and currently operates 34 stores across France.

The deal, currently under review by France’s competition authority, involves five stores in the Rouen metropolitan area, three locations in the Nice agglomeration, two units in Dijon, and additional stores in Antibes, Arras, Auxerre, Cannes, and Noyelles-Godault. This acquisition would significantly strengthen Snipes’ presence in France, following its recent three-year partnership with Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (PSG).

Courir, which operates around 260 stores in France (including about 60 affiliates), is still awaiting the finalisation of its sale to JD Sports by the private equity firm Equistone. In JD Sports’ financial report published in early October, the company noted that the transaction “remains subject to the approval of the European Commission.” This acquisition, first announced over a year ago, has been under the European Union’s scrutiny since summer 2024.

Sources suggest that the sale of the 15 Courir stores to Snipes could be part of the strategy to address concerns in the EU’s antitrust review, helping to mitigate potential risks of the acquisition being blocked. Representatives of Snipes, JD Sports, and Courir declined to comment on this information.

JD Sports, which operates around 150 stores in France, offered €520 million to acquire Courir in a bid to expand further in Europe, particularly in France, with a retail concept that complements its own. Courir mainly targets female customers, whereas JD Sports caters to adolescents and men, focusing on sneakers and sportswear.

In 2023, JD Sports also acquired nine stores from Gap France’s struggling network, taking on 214 employees. For the first half of its 2024 fiscal year, JD Sports’ sales increased by 5.2% to £5.03 billion (€6 billion), although its operating profit dropped by 22% to £292.2 million.