JJB Sports, Preston
Logo date: there were numerous iterations of this logo (and typeface changes for ‘SPORTS’) so it’s a little difficult to date. You'll notice this with the wall mounted sign compared to that above the shop, and the subtle differences of the 'B' in 'JJB' (much like this one) I'd estimate that part of the signage is 90s, but that above the door is 00s. The short lived square logo came in from 2007.
Location: Fishergate, Preston
Ah, JJB. We’ve already written about the lure of the sports store for many teens in the 90s and 00s and the plethora of different chains we had back then when we looked at some old JD branding, but I think we all have a soft spot for JJB. You can almost picture the piles of Umbro clothing and poster of Michael Owen in the window like it was yesterday.
I’d had a tip-off about the JJB in Preston and it didn’t disappoint. To say that this store dominates Fishergate with its wall mounted totem* as you approach is an understatement. You can see it right the entire length of the street... which I guess was the original intention, but it does add a certain air of melancholy about it so many years on.
What’s next door though? A snazzy modern looking and large JD (ouch, bit of a kick in the teeth) which makes this JJB look tiny in comparison. I had a look at some plans of the street to try and work out the unit size in comparison, but bizarrely Numbers 18 (JD) and 19 (JJB) are designated as one block and unit. On the other side? You’ve got a still empty BHS.
Other interesting thing: JJB Sports didn’t actually disappear until late 2012. I could have sworn that it was a casualty of the late-00s, but nope. It’s easy to understand why I thought that though - hit hard by the credit crunch and a large store network, they narrowly avoided administration and started a major restructuring programme with store closures from 2009, including selling a third of the companies shares to Mike Ashley and Sports Direct.
And therein lies a problem: like many businesses still today, particularly with fashion chains over recent years, the headlines of a business’s financial difficulties often stick with consumers to the point that they assume that they’ve disappeared, rather than the reality of the brand limping along albeit often with a smaller retail footprint. Almost inevitably a further administration is round the corner. Karen Millen, Greenwoods, OddBins, Blue Inc are just a few examples.
*I mean, technically it’s not a totem sign because they come out the ground but I don’t know how else to refer to it. Suggestions on a postcard.
Pictures via @JosephBegley
