At the start of the month, Sports Direct opened the doors to its new £10 million, 60,000 sq ft flagship store on Birmingham’s New Street.
The move is part of the retail giant’s elevation strategy, pioneered by new chief executive Michael Murray, who took the top seat at the retailer this month.
The strategy aims to create shopping environments that are fit-for-purpose in not just today’s retail market but for years to come.
The new Sports Direct store is the first flagship to house USC, Game, Evans Cycles and a Belong esports arena under one roof.
Retail Gazette takes a trip to Birmingham to check out the new store to see if it truly elevates the retailer.
A very different Sports Direct
Upon entry, it’s clear to see where Sports Direct has spent its £10 million. Elevation is no understatement – the store interiors look closer to its luxury Flannels brand than the old Sports Direct store, which closed in Birmingham’s Bullring prior to this opening.
Sports Direct stores of old bore something of a jumble sale look. After all, founder Mike Ashley made his millions by adopting a ‘pile it high, sell it cheap’ strategy.
However, this store is far from that and are designed for a discerning sports enthusiast.
On the ground floor there is a dedicated running area featuring a gait analysis section to determine which shoe is best for you.
It gives valuable information about footstrike, running stride and biomechanics that can help visitors pick footwear that minimises their risk of injury.
The gait analysis machine can be used with the help of the store staff who were nearby at all times to assist shoppers.
Personalisation station
The store not only caters for those that partake in sport, but sports fans too.
The shirt personalisation section within the store has an extensive range of home and away football shirts from popular English and European clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Real Madrid for customers to personalise, alongside limited edition designs.
While a little bit gimmicky, the section was engaging with its graphics. It’s clear to see how it would appeal to younger shoppers.
Bra Studio
According to the retailer, The Bra Studio is a core part of its redesign for the brand, delivering the world’s most in-depth multi-brand bra finder.
The Bra finder experience is accessible from screens throughout the space and allows users to pass their results directly to their phones when they are finished.
The whole experience is responsive, and linked through QR codes across the Bra Studio, meaning shoppers are also able to use the tool from their own device.
Within the changing rooms, another screen allows shoppers to access the tool’s built-in fit guide. This tool gives step-by-step instructions for how to find the perfect fit.
Football lovers rejoice
The football section of the store features AstroTurf carpeting throughout and was popular with the rafts of younger shoppers as they tested out football boots.
Experiential retail was clearly at the forefront of Sports Direct’s mind when creating this store as the majority of those in-store seemed to be engaged in various activity points throughout.
Meanwhile, there are foot measuring stations spread across the floors of the store for those wanting to get an accurate fit while shopping.
Overall experience
The store interiors, lighting and displays look upscale and world’s away from Sports Direct stores of the past.
Now more than ever, customers are looking for more reasons to enter a store, rather than just ordering products on their phones, whether that be interesting tech or fun activities, s and Sports Direct has delivered with this store.
Parents and children alike were engaged across the store, which was thriving. This store is certainly fit for purpose and succeeds in elevating Sports Direct from its somewhat jumble sale roots.
The challenge now lies on bringing the elevation seen in Birmingham to all stores, from Barrow to Bognor.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
