Trading Statement

John David Group (The) PLC
10 January 2008


10 January 2008

                            THE JOHN DAVID GROUP PLC


                          CHRISTMAS TRADING STATEMENT


The John David Group Plc ('the Group'), the leading retailer of sport inspired
fashion apparel and footwear, today announces an update on performance following
the Christmas trading period:


The Group released an Interim Management Statement on 4 December 2007 and this
reported positive Group like for like sales for the 44 weeks ended 1 December
2007 of 11.8% (12.4% Sports Fascias; 2.0% Fashion Fascias). Group like for like
sales in the full eight week Christmas trading period to 5 January 2008 were
pleasingly positive at 9.3% (Sports Fascias 8.8%; Fashion Fascias (excluding
Bank) 16.0%). The Group's cumulative positive like for like sales after 49 weeks
are at 11.4% (Sports Fascias 11.6%; Fashion Fascias (excluding Bank) 7.8%).

The Group's gross margin improved in the first half against the equivalent
period last year and the level of uplift has improved further in the second half
to date. We have continued to increase marketing, IT and merchandising support
to achieve the current level of sales improvement. We expect the combination of
continued progress on margin and like for like sales to result in final headline
earnings for the year ending 2 February 2008 being ahead of the current
consensus of market expectations.


The Board intends, as soon as practicable and prior to the announcement of the
results for the year ending 2 February 2008, to seek a general authority from
shareholders to make purchases of ordinary shares in the company. The Board will
only exercise such authority to purchase shares where it believes to do so is in
the best interest of shareholders generally.


The Group will make its Preliminary Results announcement for the year ending 2
February 2008 on 17 April 2008.


Peter Cowgill, Executive Chairman, commented: 'The current trading period has
been a very good one for the Group which has seen a further and substantial
uplift in our performance as a result of both the strategy adopted by the Board
following my return to the Group as Chairman in 2004, and of a lot of hard work
by all our employees over the last three years.'

Enquiries:

The John David Group Plc                         Tel: [phone]
Peter Cowgill, Executive Chairman
Barry Bown, Chief Executive
Brian Small, Finance Director

Hogarth Partnership Limited                      Tel: [phone]
Andrew Jaques
Barnaby Fry
Sarah Richardson




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