JD Sports to sell directly through Copilot, Gemini and ChatGPT

JD Sports is opening a new front in platform-native retail by enabling customers in the United States to search for and purchase products directly through major AI assistants. The rollout begins with Microsoft Copilot, with integrations planned for Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the company said on Jan. 12, 2026. The announcement noted a partnership with "comm" in the release text, but that reference was truncated and the full partner identity was not disclosed.

The move places JD Sports squarely in the direct-to-consumer push reshaping sports retail. Controlling the purchase funnel through AI assistants can deliver higher margins and immediate first-party data on buyer behavior, critical for rapid merchandising and personalized offers. Nike’s experience underscores the commercial upside of owning the consumer relationship: the company reported $16.4 billion in direct sales in 2021, up from $2.88 billion in 2011. Adidas has publicly targeted 50 percent of sales from direct channels by 2025, and clubs such as FC Barcelona have shifted licensing strategies to capture more value through proprietary e-commerce.

Integrating commerce into AI assistants also answers shifting consumer behavior and the volatility of demand for sports merchandise. High-visibility moments can trigger sharp online surges: for example, collegiate highlight moments have previously driven jerseys to sell out within an hour, pushing buyers to DTC shops, reseller marketplaces and broad retailers. Yet most consumers still shop for sports and recreation goods in physical stores, meaning omnichannel capability remains crucial for inventory, fulfillment and returns.

Successful AI-driven commerce will depend on technical execution. Advanced product discovery and context-aware filtering are table stakes; usability research shows poor filtering can drive abandonment rates as high as 67 to 90 percent, while modest improvements can reduce abandonment to 17 to 33 percent. Mobile checkout must be seamless, leveraging digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay to avoid friction. Shoppable content and live-video commerce are emerging formats that require platform-native design and ongoing personalization; studies in China show heavy adoption of livestream shopping, but Western markets are still nascent.

Operationally, embedding purchasing in assistants introduces questions JD Sports has not yet answered. Key unknowns include the identity of the truncated partner, how payment flows and fraud prevention will function, whether purchases will require a logged-in JD account, and how first-party data will be collected, stored and used while complying with privacy rules. Integration with inventory, returns, and fulfillment systems will determine whether the feature improves conversion or simply reroutes demand to existing channels.

Industry forecasts suggest the stakes are meaningful: a 2024 report projects that by 2027 about 30 percent of sports and recreation spending will occur online, expanding the addressable market for AI-enabled retail. For JD Sports, a successful AI commerce strategy could accelerate DTC growth and deepen customer insights; missteps in UX or data governance could undercut trust and invite regulatory scrutiny. As the company proceeds from Copilot to Gemini and ChatGPT, clarity on technical partners and privacy safeguards will be the next critical indicators of whether AI assistants become a durable sales channel or a high-profile experiment.