JD Sports picks Manchester's Trafford Centre for opening of biggest ever store with focus on digital CX

JD Trafford Centre is now open, and it’s the retailer’s biggest ever store.

Opening weekend kicked off with exclusive giveaways, customisation labs, sneaker care services, and live brand activations from Nike, adidas Originals, Puma Group, Unlike Humans and Crep Protect.

The store features: over 270 digital screens; over 400 sq m of LED; a 104 metre long digital screen spanning across the bulkhead; a four metre digital swoosh.

“This is a true diamond in the JD crown and a shining example of what can be achieved when vision, innovation, and teamwork come together,” says Nathan Orzel, IT Service Desk Team Lead at JD Sports Fashion. “Watching this store come to life has been nothing short of inspiring. Countless teams have poured their passion and expertise into every detail, creating a retail experience that sets a new benchmark for JD Sports.”

He adds: “From my perspective in IT, it’s been incredible to observe the team working tirelessly behind the scenes, meticulously preparing everything while we awaited the handover to my team for ongoing support.”

“Massive shoutout to Jack Pitcher (Senior IT Desk Analyst) and Adam Evans (Senior Service Desk Analyst) who were on-site this weekend to ensure everything was working exactly as expected. Their work has been key in bridging the handover from build to business as usual. I’m immensely proud that we now add this flagship store to the portfolio of 1,500+ JD Sports locations my team supports - and without question, it’s the best one yet.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.