If true, the move would follow JD.com’s earlier efforts in the UK, including its failed takeover bid for electricals group Currys and its decision last year to walk away from talks to acquire Argos from Sainsbury’s.
Both JD.com and The Very Group declined to comment on the speculation.
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Sky News, which was first to report on the rumours, said that Carlyle, The Very Group’s owner, was weighing a sale of the business for about £2bn, an option it began exploring a few months after taking control and ending the Barclay family’s longstanding involvement.
The potential JD.com bid also comes as recent GlobalData analysis highlights ongoing weakness in The Very Group’s fashion division, even as the retailer’s overall sales have returned to growth.
According to Ashley Adeyemi, a retail analyst at GlobalData, the retailer must enhance its fashion offering to remain competitive with ultra-fast-fashion competitors.
In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, The Very Group recorded a 0.3% increase in total revenue to £1.61bn, compared to £1.60bn in the same period the previous year, with growth in its UK retail and financial services businesses.
The company reported a 4.5% fall in fashion and sports sales for the 39 weeks to 28 March 2026.
Adeyemi stated the fashion segment continues to “drag the category into negative territory”.
Earlier this year, the company announced it had extended and renewed its main debt facilities, securing funding until at least 2029. In April, The Very Group named Edward Fry as its permanent Chief Financial Officer, following a period as interim CFO since September 2025.
