Sports activities Direct’s flagship retailer redesigns with a “grass roots” strategy

Retail design studio The One Off has redesigned Sports activities Direct’s flagship Oxford Avenue retailer with a “grass roots” strategy.

It’s the first time that one of many shops has integrated Sports activities Direct’s latest rebrand, which was created by Venturethree.

The venture started with conversations with customers about their frustrations with Sports activities Direct shops, in accordance with The One Off inventive director Richard Collier. The studio has additionally labored to refresh regional branches prior to now three years.

“A whole lot of it was round attending to the product and discovering what they had been on the lookout for,” he says. “For instance, the ladies’s space wasn’t very seen inside shops.”

With the deal with customer-led expertise quite than manufacturers or classes, Collier says that the goal was to create a “far more inviting, thrilling place to go to” over the shop’s three flooring.

AR and recycled mannequins

Two options of the shop incorporate AR expertise as a method to drive engagement, in accordance with the designer. A selfie mirror for kids permits youngsters to select from a collection of masks in a body – from sporting figures like John McEnroe to fantastical creatures like unicorns – after which obtain footage of themselves and share them on social media.

A basketball expertise makes use of comparable expertise to see how excessive folks can leap, designed in collaboration with We Are Work together. The set up maps factors on the face and shoulders and encourages folks to leap to the touch a basketball.

Impressed by previous arcades, customers can then add their initials to the shop chief board. These experiences hyperlink again to merchandise in-store, Collier explains. For instance, the peak is measured in pairs of Nike Jordan trainers.

Sustainability has been one other focus within the redesign. Unused or broken Sports activities Direct mannequins have been recycled right into a resin-like materials known as Thrive and used on shows, counter tops and furnishings.

A number of varieties have been integrated in-store which characteristic various colourways and textures on account of recycling completely different model varieties. Show mannequins additionally now have “extra common physique shapes” as a method to current a extra correct portrayal of the sports activities kits on sale.

The Bra Studio

The One Off has additionally designed a bit devoted to serving to girls discovering the appropriate sports activities bra. “The sports activities bra is a basis aspect – one thing that’s actually vital to your exercise,” Collier says.

The “semi-private” space is faraway from the client circulate as privateness was most well-liked when shopping for the accent, in accordance with the designer.

The studio has constructed an accompanying digital bra choice software, which clients can entry by way of devoted screens or on cellular gadgets by way of a QR code.

It takes girls by way of a collection of questions in regards to the type of sports activities they do and their physique shapes. On the finish of the method, it offers a advice.

This sort of steering could also be part of future updates for the shop, in accordance with Collier. A digital model of the bra studio is on the market on-line.

Extra design particulars

Within the store home windows, a number of rotating video screens have been put in. Cellular pay techniques have additionally been designed in an try to make trying out and discovering merchandise smoother.

A complete ground is devoted to soccer, whereas the shop additionally has a devoted part for the rising world of esports. Sports activities Direct is managed by Frasers Group, which additionally owns the videogame outlet Sport. This can be a pure crossover for the model, in accordance with Collier.

A round space, often called the Heroes space, has been designed “to launch completely different tales” regarding tendencies and occasions, Collier provides.

The One Off has paid particular consideration to sound and lighting, Collier says. Key areas characteristic category-specific lighting. For instance within the soccer part, “stadium-like” lighting is in use, Collier says, whereas a extra “city” streetlight-inspired choice is used for the working part.

Fee factors are marked out in a purple lighting, which matches the rebrand’s color palette. These design particulars have been useful for the flagship retailer’s wayfinding, in accordance with Collier.

“Prior to now, it’s all the time been 5 audio system turned up actually loud,” Collier says of the sound design. Now, extra audio system have been put by which can play at differing volumes to create a “extra comforting setting”, he provides.

Two additional flagship shops are set to be redesigned in Manchester and Birmingham.