When high-street sportswear retailer JD Sports published the costs of the damage caused by last month’s rioting, it finally dared to make the remark that many PR professionals were surprised it hadn’t made sooner.

When the company announced a loss of £700,000 in stock as a result of the August riots, JD Sports chairman Peter Cowgill promptly cashed in on the opportunity to remark that the widespread targeting of its stores clearly demonstrated there was a strong demand for its products on the high street.

Somehow, you just knew that a comment such as that would get a strong media reaction. And that’s exactly what happened, with several newpapers deliberately making a meal out of it in a bid to sensationalise the story.

The majority of us in the public relations industry would say that this was therefore a clear case of mission accomplished. Yet there have nevertheless been some dissenters within the PR community.

They argue that Cowgill’s remarks were ill-advised, claiming that they evoke a poor image of the JD Sports brand and making comparisons within Gerald Ratner’s infamous Institute of Directors speech in 1991.

However, JD Sports has never laid claim to being an inspirational brand in the first place and therefore Cowgill’s comments are hardly likely to ruffle the feathers of many of the company’s shareholders.

What’s more, the timing of the remark was perfectly measured.

First, the JD Sports avoided the temptation to jump straight in during the height of the riots when feelings were running high. And, secondly, it made sure the comment also coincided with the announcement of very positive half-yearly financial results.

Therefore, from a PR perspective, there seems very little point in criticising the actions of the retail chain – as all it has done is simply make something positive out of the collateral damage it sustained at the destructive hands of mindless criminals.