We are pleased to announce that we have signed a multi-year global software agreement with JD Sports Fashion Plc to deploy our RFID Inventory Management Software, ItemOptix™, across the retailer’s Sports Fashion Group stores, starting in Europe.  

This partnership modernizes inventory management, delivering real-time inventory visibility that enables JD Sports to improve shelf availability and make more accurate, data-driven inventory-focused decisions across its store network. 

A Pan-European rollout following a successful pilot 

This collaboration began with a pilot in the second half of 2024 across five stores in the UK, France, and Spain, and has rapidly scaled into a full SaaS rollout. By the end of 2025, we successfully launched the initial phase, bringing more than 400 stores live in the UK and Ireland, with the deployment expanding across Europe to reach nearly 1,000 stores by the end of 2026. In parallel, our DC tunnel solutions are already operational in JD Sports’ UK Distribution Centre, with installation at the Netherlands distribution centre scheduled imminently. 

JD Sports selected us over contending vendors after a competitive evaluation, choosing ItemOptix™ for its ability to deliver clearer inventory visibility, greater accuracy in stock counts and replenishment, and improved shelf availability that reduces out-of-stocks and enhances the customer experience. During the pilot phase, JD Sports reported a 12% increase in on-shelf availability and a 20% improvement in restocking speed with a 95% increase in items found, driven by the real-time insights and operational agility provided by the platform. The team was also excited about the availability of the ItemOptix™ SDK (Software Deployment Kit), which allowed them to integrate key RFID processes directly into their existing operational store app. 

Daniel McGrath, JD Group Head of Customer Operations, says, “We are very excited to take our partnership with Checkpoint to the next level over the coming months and years ahead, and we thank Checkpoint for their support and for everyone’s efforts to date as we start our RFID Journey.” The JD Sports team praised the collaborative culture that developed during the project: “We are forming a partnership to span many years, and that needs to start on the right footing, and I firmly believe we have created that between us. Both sides have worked tirelessly and in very short timelines to get us to where we are today,” McGrath said. 

Sarabjeet Chhatwal, Checkpoint’s VP Global Software, said, “Working with the JD Sports team has been a great experience, and one our team looks forward to continuing in the years to come. JD choosing our ItemOptix™ Software Platform to be their software of choice for their RFID Journey is yet another great endorsement from a retailer that our solution is what the market is looking for; a solution which is Easy to Use, Easy to Deploy, and Easy to Adapt.” 

JD Sports is a strategic partner for us, and this agreement underscores the value of combining best‑in‑class software with deep retail expertise. ItemOptix™ will give JD Sports the inventory clarity and operational agility it needs to drive sales and improve the in‑store experience for its customers. We are proud to have been chosen and look forward to scaling this solution across their business and exploring further opportunities across additional lines of business. 

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading global omnichannel retailer of Sports Fashion and Outdoor brands. The Group now has 4,850 stores (as of 01 February 2025) across 49 countries (including franchises and joint ventures) with a strong presence in the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.Â