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First Base is set to open shop in Westfield Bondi Junction.

The Australian sports lifestyle brand launched in 2013 as an online retailer.

First Base founder Alison Cotton confirmed its first bricks-and-mortar store will open on July 22.

"We tested the market with a pop up concept store in Bondi Beach over summer and the response was overwhelming.

"We had always planned to open a retail store and have been waiting for the right opportunity to do so.

"We’ve been cautious not to over capitalise too quickly. We feel that this is now the right time for First Base and we have adequate resources in place.

The sports apparel market is a $3 billion industry with athleisure wear worth $1.5 billion in Australia.

Cotton said while there is always speculation that retail is doing it tough, First Base has been strategic in not scaling too fast.

“It’s important that we can support a retail store by providing customers with excellent customer service and an unparalleled in-store experience.

"We have worked really hard over the past two years to craft our place in the sports lifestyle market.

"We are a brand with a conscious and produce ethically as well as continuing to move towards sustainably as a business, which will continue to be a main focus for the brand."

Having a retail store will give First Base customers a destination to get their hands on limited edition collections, she said.

“We are moving into a time where personalisation is key both in the products we produce and the relationship we have with our customers. A store will give us the edge to really be able to offer a premium service and the full First Base experience.

First Base recorded a $1.5m turn over in 2015/16 financial year and is set to exceed this for the 2016/17 financial year.

The increase in sales has been attributed to the Bondi summer concept store, the launch of the first 100% certified organic cotton range and an increase in sales across the active wear collections and the unstoppable growth of the sports and active wear markets.

First Base has a combined social media fan base of over 200,000 where the brand shares product shots and inspirational images.

“It’s a lifestyle brand with a purpose both from an ethical stand point and to enrich the lives of the wearers by knowing that they are contributing to ethical and sustainable fashion and reducing the impact of fashion on the environment. We believe those things are important to people, they are important to us both personally and professionally,” Cotton said.

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