Iconic Australian brand Sportscraft is to launch its Sportscraft Signature collection into a further 21 stores across Australia following strong sales for the fledging label.
The rollout, taking place currently, will see Sportscraft Signature introduced to 26 stores across Australia once complete. Locations include Double Bay and the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, the new shopping precinct of Claremont in WA, Myer Brisbane and Perth, and David Jones in Adelaide and Melbourne. The expansion is expected to conclude in April with the launch of the Signature collection into Myer Sydney.
Sportscraft, owned by the Apparel Group, initially released the Signature collection in October 2010 into just five stores and its online boutique, but since then the collection has seen a surge in market interest which prompted the decision to expand, Sportscraft general manager, Tina Van Zyl, said.
“The initial ‘soft’ launch had the aim of limiting distribution to test the customer response before rolling out to a larger collection of stores, but the popularity of the range and the demand for the product since our initial launch has been very positive,” she said.
Designed to target women in the 35-plus age range, the Sportscraft Signature collection offers a range of classic and elegant styles in sizes six to 18, which retail from $99 to $599. Fresh product is dropped in stores every month, separated into autumn/winter and spring/summer ranges.
By comparison, the main Sportscraft line targets women and men aged 40-plus. Van Zyl said that while it will be a challenge to maintain a healthy balance, there are no concerns that the Signature range will take sales away from the main Sportscraft collection.
“The main challenge to launching a new collection into our existing space is to get the balance of product right for our customers,” she said.
“But because the product end use is so different we believe that the brand now offers a complete wardrobe solution and they will not cannibalise the other.”
Daniela Aroche