Sportsgirl is thumbing its nose at the financial crisis by opening its biggest ever store that promises to be a feast for the senses.
The fashion retailer has committed to a mammoth retail project to feature constantly changing in-store entertainment. The retailer believes the move will draw consumers in the front door on a more regular basis during tougher trading conditions.
The new store, at Melbourne's Chadstone shopping centre, is a 750sq/m retail site that sprawls over one floor that's set to open on August 19. The site is 30 per cent larger than the current flagship store in the city's Bourke Street Mall.
The new store will feature a six-metre high entrance flanked with a prism-shaped window. Shoppers can watch ever-changing fashion fly by in the Nectar Suite, while a honeycomb pattern shoe display has been created, among other highlights.
Sportsgirl CEO Elle Roseby said the new super-flagship store would feature purpose-built areas that will take the brand to the next level. Entertainment will be alternated every few weeks, but Roseby is keeping details a closely guarded secret.
"This larger size gives us a lot more opportunity to provide a level of entertainment that customers haven't been used to from Australian retailers before. Working with an international branding agency (Yellow Door) allows us to view life as an international retailer who knows where retail is heading."
Sportsgirl will also ramp up its online investment ahead of the superstore opening. It launched its e-tailing website 18 months ago but is relaunching the site to incorporate blogs, fashion news, forums, Sportsgirl TV and style tips.
The new site is designed to enable consumers to interact more closely with the brand, and will launch early next week (July 6). Consumer insights gained from the site will also enable Sportsgirl to react quickly to emerging trends on the retail floor.
And an online competition that gives men and women the chance to win a gig as a Sportsgirl stylist has also been announced. Its in-store magazine, set to launch in August, will also be bolstered.
Roseby said the succession of developments made by the retailer should indicate the financial strength of the company. She would not reveal what percentage of apparel is sold online compared to in-store, but did confirm the growth in online sales had been 'phenomenal'.
"We've felt absolutely no impact on our sales at the hands of the economy. If the product is right and desirable, women will buy it. Consumers are certainly more discerning, but she'll justify the purchase in her own mind."