Australian clothing and footwear conglomerate Accent Group is ramping up its rollout of Sports Direct stores locally, with six stores set to open between now and Christmas 2026.
Currently, Sports Direct has three stores in Australia, including two in New South Wales at Miranda and Chatswood Chase, and another at Fountain Gate in Victoria.
Two new Melbourne stores are planned to open within weeks of each other. Sports Direct Boradmeadows will launch a grand opening on September 12, followed by Dandenong on October 3.
The expansion will continue at pace, with a further four Sports Direct stores set to open across Australia before Christmas, brining its total number by year-end to nine.
Accent Group CEO Daniel Agostinelli said the latest openings reflect confidence in the Australian market and the opportunity to grow Sports Direct across key metropolitan locations.
“The response to Sports Direct in Australia has been incredibly encouraging, and Broadmeadows and Dandenong represent another important step in our growth,” Agostinelli said.
“Both are communities with a strong connection to sport and active lifestyles, and we see a real opportunity to bring Sports Direct’s combination of global brands, choice and value to even more Australian consumers.”
Both stores will offer customers access to international sporting brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma, alongside exclusive Sports Direct brands including USA Pro, Karrimor and Sondico.
The Broadmeadows Grand Opening on September 12 will feature an appearance by Essendon player Isaac Kako from 11:00am, alongside a live DJ and interactive trading card photo booth.
Sports Direct’s arrival in Dandenong on October 3 will follow just three weeks later, continuing the retailer’s expansion across key metropolitan locations and further strengthening its Victorian footprint.
Agostinelli said Sports Direct’s combination of major global brands and accessible pricing was resonating with Australian consumers.
“Australian consumers are passionate about sport and increasingly looking for value, choice and accessibility. Sports Direct offers a unique proposition that combines major global brands with exclusive labels and compelling value.”
This ramp-up follows months of pressure on Accent Group from Frasers Group, the owner of Sports Direct. The UK-based business has launched a takeover bid of Accent Group, which appears to not be gaining any traction with Accent shareholders. That came more than a year after the UK group gave the license to Accent to manage and scale the sporting retailer locally.