Sports apparel retailer JD Sports Fashion has made an acquisition through its newly incorporated 50.1 per cent owned subsidiary JD Sprinter Holdings.

Sports apparel retailer JD Sports Fashion has made an acquisition through its newly incorporated 50.1 per cent owned subsidiary JD Sprinter Holdings.

As part of the deal, JD Sprinter Holdings is to acquire the trading businesses that make up the Sprinter group of companies in Spain for €20 million (£17.65 million).

Founded in 1981, Sprinter retails footwear, apparel, accessories and equipment through its 47 stores in the Andalucía and Levante regions of Spain.

Executive chairman of Manchester-based JD Sports, Peter Cowgill, says the acquisitions are part of its strategy to ‘selectively expand’ its European retail presence and increase its exposure to a broader portfolio of brands.

As well as the acquisition of Sprinter, JD Sports Fashion has, in a separate deal, purchased the business and assets of eight shops trading as Cecil Gee from Moss Bros for a total consideration of £1.7 million.

Cowgill adds: ‘The acquisition of the Cecil Gee stores provides us with a low risk springboard for the development of a well funded profitable premium brand fashion chain.’

The remaining 49.9 per cent of the shares in JD Sprinter are owned equally between the Segarra family, who founded Sprinter, and the Bernard family.

According to a statement, Sprinters management team and infrastructure provides JD with an opportunity to grow its European retail presence.

Sprinter reported turnovers of €80 million for the year ending 31 December 2009 and operating profits of €2.1 million.