Activewear brand P.E Nation’s direct-to-consumer channel grew 20 per cent year-on-year in FY26, as the brand scales its physical footprint across New South Wales.
CEO Hamish Stuart confirmed the growth numbers with Ragtrader, saying DTC remained the business’s highest-performing channel.
Stuart added that physical retail played a role in driving brand discovery among new audiences globally, not only in serving local customers. P.E Nation reported encouraging momentum in international markets, particularly North America, where it is stocked by retailers including Revolve, Anthropologie and Nordstrom.
Stuart said international remained at an earlier stage of development, but that the brand saw a significant long-term opportunity to scale globally through a disciplined distribution strategy.
P.E Nation now operates four stores across Sydney including Castle Towers, Miranda and Liverpool, as well as a newly opened summer residency at Pitt Street Mall. The brand also sells through its online store and stockists including Stylerunner, Rebel Sport, The Iconic and select David Jones stores.
Stuart said the business had undertaken customer heat-mapping and catchment analysis across its national customer base, which now provides a framework for where physical stores can create the greatest opportunity. While the brand continues to assess opportunities in all major Australian cities, he said expansion would remain deliberate.
“Our focus is on selective growth rather than scale for scale’s sake,” Stuart said.
The Pitt Street Mall pop-up, branded the Sydney Summer Residency, opened on October 8 and will trade for six months through the spring/summer season. It stocks the brand’s latest collection alongside exclusive collections, and follows the release of P.E Nation’s 10-Year Anniversary Collection.
“The pop-up represents an opportunity for us to reassess the Sydney CBD within our new retail format by gaining valuable insights into product demand, trading patterns and customer acquisition, which will inform future retail network decisions,” Stuart said.
P.E Nation previously operated a store in The Galeries off George Street, which Stuart said gave the brand a clear read on the CBD shopper before committing to Pitt Street. Since exiting The Galeries, Amer Sports’ Arc’Teryx and Salomon brands have taken over the George Street ground floor spaces.
Stuart described the Pitt Street customer as more fashion-led, with purchases driven by styling and newness, and noted the location’s mix of commuters, international and interstate visitors helped broaden customer acquisition and brand awareness.
Creative director Claire Greaves said the return to Sydney CBD was tied to the brand’s origins in the city.
“Sydney is where P.E Nation started, so bringing this anniversary year back to the CBD felt like the obvious next step,” Greaves said. “This city shaped the way I design, the pace of it, the way women here move between a dozen different versions of themselves in a single day.”
Heading into peak trading, the brand expects to deliver double-digit growth over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. Stuart said the business was entering the season with new product launches, targeted digital initiatives and a more focused commercial plan.
“Success is not simply driven by discounting,” Stuart said. “We believe the business is significantly better positioned than it was twelve months ago, with a stronger brand proposition, clearer product architecture and improved customer engagement.”
P.E Nation was founded in Sydney in 2016 by Greaves and Pip Edwards, with Greaves as designer since its inception. The brand is stocked across Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.