In today’s challenging times, many retailers can learn from how Dixons Carphone and JD Sports are going from success to success.

Tough trading conditions? We’re doing okay. Brexit? Schmexit.

Okay, so Dixons Carphone and JD Sports bosses Seb James and Peter Cowgill didn’t exactly put it like that – they were at pains not to be complacent.

But each delivered strong updates and, usual caveats aside, were upbeat about prospects.

Their success is a welcome antidote to some of the tales of woe that have dominated retail headlines through much of this year.

While JD may have the benefit of being in a fashion sweet spot of the moment, the athleisure trend, it is reaping the benefit of years of focus.

Some of the foundations of JD’s success are shared by Dixons Carphone, and other harder-pressed retailers could put similar building blocks in place.

Exemplary behaviour

Both have established excellent relationships with supplier brands. While there is much talk of win-win relationships between retailers and suppliers, in reality the relationship can be more adversarial than collaborative.

But JD’s and Dixons’ approach, and retail prowess, means they are go-to partners and can strike exclusive deals, winning an advantage over competitors.

“JD frequently highlights the importance of its visual merchandising and retail theatre as central to its appeal to brands, and of course customers. Dixons Carphone has seized the opportunity to be an explainer of complex products.”

That is partly because of how each manages its stores and pays close attention to making the most of the strengths of bricks and mortar in the multichannel jigsaw.

JD frequently highlights the importance of its visual merchandising and retail theatre as central to its appeal to brands, and of course customers.

Dixons Carphone has seized the opportunity to be an explainer of complex products.

In that role stores become an advantage, providing suppliers with a stage to showcase their most exciting new lines, and the retailer the chance to extend its services business – a business which James hopes to double in size to generate sales of £1bn. (You can watch our new video interview with him here.)

International stage

And both are benefiting from international scale – inside Europe and increasingly beyond.

Nobody can predict just how the UK’s Brexit decision will play out in the next few years.

“JD expects to continue expansion in Europe, and is growing in locations much farther afield such as Australia and Malaysia. Similarly, Dixons Carphone’s businesses in Scandinavia and southern Europe both generated like-for-like growth in its most recent quarter”

But JD expects to continue expansion in Europe, and is growing in locations much farther afield such as Australia and Malaysia.

Similarly, Dixons Carphone’s businesses in Scandinavia and southern Europe both generated like-for-like growth in its most recent quarter.

James said there has been “no detectable impact” on UK shopper behaviour following the EU referendum. But beyond Europe another exciting market – the US – is a growth focus as the fledging Sprint chain opens branches apace.

JD and Dixons Carphone are not the only retailers on top of their game. Sainsbury’s has got its acquisition of Argos off at pace with plans for 200 eBay collection points in its branches and the development of an in-store mini-Habitat format.

All are examples of businesses where agility and imagination are making a difference, and evidence that whatever trading conditions are like, in retail you can also make your own luck.