• The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday, August 15, 2011 9:30 AM

Oops, JD Sports is a little verklempt that rampaging London rioters like its wares. Indeed, when rioters went amok, the shops that suffered some of the worst damage were those belonging to the JD Sports chain.

Peter Cowgill, chairman of the clothing retailer, said as many as 30 of its stores had been looted and the clean-up and replacing of lost stock would cost in excess of £10 million ($16 million). He said he was ''depressed'' by how quickly things had spiraled out of control. ''Ultimately, you have to have faith in the law and this resolving itself,'' he said. Robin Knight, a retail expert at restructuring firm Zolfo Cooper, said the chain was targeted because it is seen to embody youth culture. ''It has clearly positioned itself as a purveyor of very aspirational product amongst the UK's youth," he said.

Read the whole story at The Sydney Morning Herald »