BRITISH sports and fashion retailer JD Sports Fashion Plc bucked the gloomy sector trend with a 54-percent rise in first-half underlying profit and solid current trading.

For the 26 weeks to August 2 the retailer, which changed its name from John David Group Plc in July, said yesterday that it made a profit before tax and exceptional items of 12.4 million pounds (US$22.87 million), up from 8.1 million pounds in the same period last year.

UK retailers are struggling as consumers curb spending due to higher fuel, food and mortgage costs. JD Sports' young customer base has helped it to buck this trend.

Sales rose 19 percent to 299 million pounds and were up 6 percent on a like-for-like basis, which strips out the impact of new space. Like-for-like sales cumulatively to September 13 were up 5.8 percent.

The group's gross margin improved 0.2 percent to 48.2 percent.

"The like-for-like sales performance in the balance of the year will be measured against very strong comparatives from last year and with the backdrop of challenging conditions for the consumer," Executive Chairman Peter Cowgill said.

"Nevertheless, the board believes that the group is strongly positioned to deliver on market expectations."

The interim dividend was raised 24 percent to 3.1 pence.

Shares in JD Sports, 57 percent of which are held by privately owned Pentland Group, closed on Monday at 275 pence, valuing the business at 133 million pounds.