JD Sports to open first standalone Raleigh store at Crabtree Mall

U.K.-founded retailer JD Sports plans a nearly 7,000-square-foot standalone store on the lower level of Crabtree Valley Mall, occupying the space directly across from Hollister, mall leasing documents and retailer listings indicate. The announcement positions JD Sports as the latest major sportswear entrant at Crabtree as the mall pursues a tenant mix focused on performance apparel and streetwear.

The Crabtree location will join JD Sports’ existing North Carolina outposts in Charlotte, Greensboro and Wilmington and will stock major athletic brands including Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Asics and Hoka, consistent with the chain’s national assortment. The store footprint is described in property listings and retailer materials as roughly 7,000 square feet, a full-format retail presence rather than a small shop-in-shop.

Crabtree is already home to national athleisure names; the mall’s lower-level corridor features lululemon, Fabletics and Athleta, and JD Sports’ lease keeps it squarely within that concentration of performance and lifestyle retailers. The center draws heavy traffic for the Triangle market, with mall figures cited at more than 8.7 million visitors annually, a key metric landlords use when courting national tenants.

Mall ownership is midstream on a broader repositioning plan that includes interior renovations and “experiential” concepts set to roll out through 2026. Planned additions tied to the redevelopment include an Escapology escape-room concept sized at about 4,600 square feet with roughly 10 immersive games and an interior refresh at the Belk store that will add a personal-shopper studio, shop-in-shop brand corners and an in-store coffee and wine bar. Those projects and JD Sports’ arrival are part of the mall’s effort to refresh common areas and update the merchandising mix under new ownership.

Timing for JD Sports’ Crabtree opening varies across public information: some local reporting describes a spring 2026 launch, while JD Sports’ own future-store schedule lists an anticipated August 2026 opening. The retailer typically posts hiring information and grand-opening specifics on its store pages as launch dates approach, which will offer the clearest timetable for staffing and events.

If the mall’s construction and tenant rollouts proceed through 2026 as planned, JD Sports will join a wave of changes at Crabtree that mall management expects will reshape the shopping center’s traffic patterns and consumer offerings this year.