In Pictures: Sports Direct opens revamped Oxford Street flagship

Sports Direct has reopened its Oxford Street flagship store, following a £10 million refurbishment. The site has undergone a complete overhaul with a modern, innovative, and sleek new look that brings the brand’s latest elevation strategy to the retail space.

TheIndustry.fashion first broke the news of the stores closure and redevelopment last December, with closing down sale signs displayed in the store window.

As customers return to high street this summer, the flagship store will feature curated activation spaces and interactive experiences for consumers to explore. Dedicated areas have been set out for football, running, outdoor and specialist sports, alongside menswear, womenswear, and kidswear.

The store, which first opened in 2014, spans over 50,000 sq. ft and features an entirely new layout, with multi-functional spaces to spotlight selected brands, which may rotate and change based on demand. Areas include:

• Bra Studio: dedicated bra destination, featuring the UK’s first multi-brand bra finder tool designed to help women find the right bra for their sport. The tool uses aggregated size data to suggest the right size for the user in every bra, no matter what brand.
• Heroes Area: a multi-brand space located at the heart of the store which will be curated around hero sporting and cultural moments throughout the year.
• My ID Customisation: an area where customers can have products customised with limited edition designs from illustrators such as Daniel Nyari.
• FIFA Gaming Area: in partnership with EA Sports and Playstation, this space will allow customers to immerse themselves with an in-store gaming experience, with the chance to compete against athletes and guest talent.
• Infinity Mirror Cube: the ultimate selfie booth; a 3mx3m infinity mirror cube that will create mini- universes of sports-inspired installations.
• 3D Motion Hologram: The first-of-its-kind in UK retail, guests are greeted with a state-of-the-art, hologram product display at the store’s entrance. Using cutting edge technology, the innovative visual merchandising allows brands to create 3D visuals of their products in motion, but as holograms, appearing like they are floating in mid-air.

Michael Murray, Group Head of Elevation at Sports Direct, is at the forefront of the brand’s monumental transformation, he commented: “Sports Direct’s most iconic store, located in the heart of London’s Oxford Street, has been completely renovated to reflect our new vision and purpose.

“This is a pivotal moment in an era of massive change; bringing to life our elevation strategy in a physical space, not least, in a globally recognised retail destination. The store hasn't just been upgraded, we're ripping up the rule book and looking at our retail spaces with a completely new vision - this store is a prime example of that. We are the leading destination for sportswear and are committed to bringing the very best brands, environment, product innovations, and experience to the high street.”

The store also features specialised sporting areas, including a permanent golf putting green, running gait analysis, and Jordan basketball performance challenge.