Sportswear is a huge retail sector because it caters to every sport on the planet, from the ancient, like marathon running, to the newly established, like drone racing. The category also has to encompass revolving fashion seasons, ride out sporting trends and continuously keep up with the product-tech developments.
We’ve worked with some of the world’s greatest sporting brands, creating store concepts that are a physical 3D expression of the brand. From our years of experience, we’ve distilled what drives the design direction for a sports store into three distinct categories of inspiration.
BRAND VALUES
Who is the brand and what do they stand for?
Some brands are known for their investment in product-technology and want their stores to visually reflect that with finishes that are current to futuristic-looking. Some are legacy brands, having traded for over 50-100 years and want their stores to incorporate that history with visual storytelling.
Champion Clothing started life as a varsity league sponsor over 100 years ago. The brand values its history, legacy and nostalgia, and this reflected in the store design with lockers, vintage graphics, and the iconic Champion brand.
PLACE OF USE
What environment will the sports gear be used in?
Some brands revere the great outdoors and want their stores to reflect that in their store design with the installation of natural finishes and vertical gardens. Alternately, single-sports retailers, like boxing or basketball brands, want their stores to mimic the environment where their product is used, like the boxing ring or the basketball court.
Under Armour’s tagline is The Only Way Is Through. It’s a performance brand that athletes wear to train in every day at gyms around the world. Bringing in the gym environment with weights and ropes was a natural fit for this store.
HEARTS AND MINDS
What captures the customer’s attention and makes them lean forward?
Athleisure and streetwear appeal to customers who see themselves a certain way and are looking for brands with stores that reflect that look and feel. Elevating architectural details or embracing the locale the store sits within gives brands the best chance to appeal to the hearts and minds of their customers.
New Balance’s Tokyo store sits within one of the world’s most popular retail district, Roppongi. A unique design was needed to cut through the noise and capture customer’s attention. Drawing on the Japanese concept of ‘Ma’ – the art of negative space, this store beckons a closer look.
Sports retail design is one of the most fun categories to work with, because of the nature of the product. Sport is energy, and whether that’s the slow and steady focus in pilates, or the rapid-fire intensity of skateboarding, interpreting the energy into the retail environment is a welcomed challenge.
Written by Renée Ballard, ©️ 2024
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