JD Sports chief executive officer Régis Schultz touted “improved performance” in the retailer’s North American business despite reporting a dip in sales in the region in the second quarter.

In the U.K.-based company’s second quarter trading statement on Wednesday, the CEO noted that North America’s improvement was largely due to a deferral of several new product launches from the first quarter, along with stronger sales trends in apparel and its online business.

In both Europe and the U.K., Schultz added that the regions saw “good underlying performance” in apparel and from newer footwear lines especially performance-based and value-oriented shoes.

“We are making strong progress in developing our omnichannel customer proposition, store footprint and supply chain, and we are controlling our costs and cash effectively,” Schultz stated. “I am proud of all our teams across the globe for their energy and focus against tough trading conditions.”

This comes as the company noted that total sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 were 3.11 billion pounds, down 3.0 percent from the same time last year.

By region, North American sales dipped 2.3 percent to 1.12 billion pounds when compared to the same time last year. As for Europe, the region’s like-for-like sales declined 1.1 percent to 1.05 billion pounds in Q2, the U.K. saw sales drop 6.1 percent to 806 million pounds, and Asia Pacific reported a 0.3 percent increase in sales to 129 million pounds.

“Across our regions and fascias, in general we see a resilient consumer, albeit very selective on their purchases,” Schultz added. “We therefore remain cautious on the trading environment going into the second half. For our fiscal year 2026 profit before tax and adjusting items we expect to be in line with current market expectations, before any indirect impact of U.S. tariffs which we continue to work through.”

JD Sports noted that it does not consider direct impacts of U.S. tariffs on the company, but continues to monitor the ever-changing landscape on how brand partners are addressing the situation.

Looking ahead, the company said it remains cautious given the continued strains on consumer finances, unemployment risk, and the ongoing shift in the footwear product cycle.

“We are well placed to continue growing our market share in the key growth regions of North America and Europe, and confident about the medium-term growth prospects for our industry,” Schultz said.

The company will release full first half results on Sept. 24.