JJB Sport revealed like-for-like sales down 1.2 per cent in the 12 weeks to July 10 and said it expects the second half of the year to be “very challenging”.

The sports retailer posted a 2 per cent like-for-like decline at its retails stores and a 5.9 per cent increase at its health clubs division. That compares with an overall 5.3 per cent like-for-like dip in the last quarter, when retail like-for-likes fell 6.5 per cent and leisure clubs climbed 5 per cent.

Although JJB said it remained cautious in the face of the downturn, it added that its new-era and retro fit-outs produced strong like-for-likes and that rolling them out further will help strengthen its position in future.