Nike veteran Ger Wright joined Frasers Group as its managing director of sport last year, taking the helm of its biggest chain Sports Direct.
She is tasked with driving home the sports retailer’s elevation strategy, which Michael Murray spearheaded before ascending to Frasers Group CEO.
The strategy is designed to raise perceptions of the business and attract more high-profile brands to its store.
Few people know more about what sportswear brands want than Wright. She joins Frasers Group afer 16 years at Nike, most recently leading merchandising at its marketplace business across EMEA.
And if its new Manchester flagship opening is anything to go by, it seems like it’s elevation strategy is in safe hands.
Sports Direct Manchester
The 50,000 sq ft store in Manchester’s Arndale Centre illustrates the new direction of the sports retailer and evidently no expense has been spared.
The flagship, which it describes as “it’s most advanced store to date”, is rife with technology and carries several dedicated specialist sporting zones that have been kitted out with interactive features.
Chief executive Michael Murray describes the flagship as something which “brings together everything we have been working over the last five years”.
The store is a far cry from the ‘pile ’em high, sell ’em cheap’ approach that Sports Direct was built on.
Instead, we have a store dedicated to the best in sports – a giant light box saying ‘Welcome to Sport’ at the entrance to Sports Direct makes this clear.
Around the store are dedicated areas for various sports from running and football to golf, swimming and outdoor.
Even the categories which are not the biggest for the retailer – such as racket sports – have been given space and investment as it looks to grow its reputation as a reputable sports performance retailer.
The store also includes the latest running gait analysis technology, including a treadmill and a 3D foot scanner to serve those serious about sport.
Interactive activations are also dotted throughout the store including a mini golf putting green and a subsoccer table football and Xbox station.
Scattered around the flagship are digital touch points allowing shoppers to learn more about the in-store ranges.
Shaking off its discount reputation
It’s clear that Sports Direct wants to shake off its association with neon discount tags and giant mugs and attract a broader clientele.
Wright explains the retailer is focusing on different price points, from high end to low end, as part of its elevation strategy.
“When we look at our elevation strategy and how we tackle our stores, we’re making sure that we don’t alienate the consumer because that’s really important to us as well,” she says.
“We want to make sure that we keep the old consumer, but we bring a new consumer through the door.”
There’s certainly no piling stock high in this store, where VM standards are high and there is more than enough space for product to breath.
Murray says: “Whilst they are very big stores and a lot of products are in there, we keep it simple. Keep the storytelling simple and let the customer decide the product they want.”
Strengthening relationships with brands
Nike and Adidas have long been Sports Direct’s top suppliers and its evident the retailer is keen to show them off.
On the right side of the store, an Adidas logo sits proudly at the top of a wall that displays its latest collection. The brand’s iconic three stripe design is used as a display stand throughout the store.
Meanwhile Nike takes over the left hand side of the store, with an eye-catching interactive shoe display and a colourful mural from a local artist. A Nike Jordan Basketball performance challenge also grabs attention.
The retailer has even partnered with its suppliers to produce in-store guides on digital screen that allow shoppers to discover the range without the help of a sales assistant. For example, it’s swimwear video guide was made in partnership with Speedo.
The new strategy, and improved visual merchandising has strengthened the retailer’s accounts with the sporting giants, says Wright.
“The confidence the brands have on us is at an all-time high. The brand partnerships are second to none,” she says.
This is crucial as both Nike and Adidas have been cutting links with a raft of stockists as they grow their own direct-to-consumer sales.
Fraser Group’s strategy has also helped to introduce new brands into the fold, including streetwear brand Vans who signed on with USC about two months ago.
The partnership itself is an achievement as Vans has also been severing ties with stockists amid its direct-to-consumer push.
Shoppers entering through the new flagship’s USC entrance, located on the lower ground floor, will be met with a Vans activation and video display wall playing the brand’s campaigns.
Wright says more new brand tie-ups are in the works.
Bigger and better stores
Manchester may be Sports Direct “most advanced store to date” but it’s not the only brand-spanking flagship store it has opened.
Both Birmingham and London have new megastores, and the sports retailer plans to open approximately 10 flagships in the UK, starting with Dublin later this year.
This will it explore the option of consolidating its smaller branches nearby that fall below 20,000 sq ft to make way for the new shops.
“Then we can do storytelling in the right way,” said Wright, explaining the bigger boxes allow for better consistency from a design and digital feature perspective.
However, Wright is not just relying on a handful of flagships to reset the retailer’s reputation. She is also setting about revamping the rest of its store estate.
So far, 150 of its 473 estate have been given a makeover that includes a fresher in-store design, digital features, and activations. The retailer hopes to have the majority of its estate elevated over the next five years.
European expansion
It’s not just the UK where Sports Direct is elevating its brand. The retailer, which trades in 19 countries including France, Germany and Spain, is looking to open 10 more flagships in across Europe.
“France is our key strategic market of focus right now and we’re looking for flagship in Paris,” shares Wright.
“We want to start to really build out the Sports Direct brand in Europe in a big way and we feel like having a flagship in time for the Olympics will be give us the springboard to do that as well.”
Growing in those European markets will require a slightly different approach to that in the UK.
“We’re going to be a little bit more laser sharp on winning those key markets. That will mean doing specific buys, understanding the consumer, our marketing and tone of voice will be different and then really localising the assortment.”
It’s all systems go at Sports Direct as it races ahead with its new strategy and Wright is determined to build on Murray’s foundations and rid the retailer of its downmarket reputation.
“We’ve got a strategy for the next five years. It’s aggressive, but we will go on the journey and the brands are committed to coming on the journey with us.”
The end result should be a Sports Direct that not just brands but customers believe showcases the best in sport.
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