JD Sports to upsize at Braehead, opens biggest ANZ store yet, sees surging Oasis-linked searches
First, its UK store development. After opening several giant-sized stores, it's now planning to upsize at SGS UK Retail's Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow.
Located at the heart of the lower level and serving as a focal point for the centre, JD is expanding its footprint by a third to create an 18,000 sq ft store, due to open in 2026.
This will enable it to showcase its full multi-category offer, spanning athleisure, footwear, accessories, and sportswear for men, women, and juniors, 'and responds to strong demand from both local and regional shoppers'.
The enhanced space will feature the brand's latest store concept, with dedicated product zones, immersive experiences, and a broader selection of leading global names, including Montirex, Nike, Adidas, The North Face, and Under Armour.
Braehead is a key mall in Scotland and James Air, director of group acquisitions at JD, said it's 'long been a strong performer' for the firm.
Meanwhile, the retailer has just opened its biggest ANZ store yet in Melbourne as part of a rapid expansion plan for Australia.
It opened on Thursday at the city's Bourke Street Mall and is a similar size to the planned Braehead space.
It becomes the largest JD Sports location in the ANZ market and marks the brand's third global flagship opening in as many months.
The store features exclusive shop-in-shops from major global brands, the latest, globally designed and digital-based Home of Air Nike shop-in-shop for footwear, two interactive product activation zones, and the 'elevated store architecture and design' inspired by global JD flagships across Manchester, Las Vegas, London, Berlin, and Paris.
Opening-week highlights include special drops such as the latest JD Exclusive Nike Air Max 95s, Nike Shox, Adidas Sambas, Air Jordans, and the latest from Asics and New Balance.
Hilton Seskin, head of APAC for the retailer, said: 'As our store network continues to grow across Victoria and Australia, it's vital that we deliver the elevated retail experiences our global audience has come to expect—particularly in iconic CBD locations like Bourke Street Mall.
JD Sports currently has 68 stores in Australia and five in New Zealand.
Oasis-linked searches soar
Meanwhile, the company also said that demand for Oasis-themed fashion increased by 913% as the long-awaited reunion of the Manchester band approached last week.
Searches including Oasis on JD's site saw nearly quadruple-digit growth over the month of June when compared with May.
Even searches for just 'Oasis' were up 464% on the retailer's website as fans sought themed fashion to wear on the upcoming UK tour dates.
And many traditional Adidas 'terrace' footwear styles also saw demand increases over the last month, with queries for 'Oasis trainers' up 139%. Interest in 'Gazelle' rose by 29% in June compared to May, while specific searches for 'Gazelle indoor' climbed 146%.
Samba searches rose 25% and Samba xlg searches were up 41% month-on-month. Plus there was a 7% uptick in searches for Spezial with a 115% surge in interest for 'men's Adidas Spezial'. Perhaps even more impressive, the Adidas SL 72 saw a 78% month-on-month rise while impressions for the franchise were up 6,000% vs June last year.
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