JD Sports pulls heritage streetwear brand HIP off the high street after 40 years

HIP began in Leeds in 1987 as an independent menswear store, growing into a name known for premium streetwear and heritage labels such as Carhartt, Salomon and Stone Island. After spending a year seeking investment, it was acquired by JD Sports in 2014, and broadened into womenswear in 2022. For nearly four decades it traded on the high street.

In late June 2026 JD Sports closed HIP's last two physical stores — the Manchester branch had already shut, and the Leeds store followed before the end of the month. The closures were part of a wider rationalisation of JD Sports' UK estate, as the group pursued a 'fewer, bigger, better' store strategy amid lower customer traffic, weaker consumer demand and higher operating costs. JD had already reduced its UK estate by 24 net locations earlier in 2026.

The closures ended HIP's presence on the high street, with the brand continuing to trade exclusively online. For HIP, the move brought nearly four decades of physical retail to a close — a Leeds independent founded in 1987 reduced to a website within JD Sports' portfolio.