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Tag: sportswear

  • JD Sports Sales Dip Globally as Asia Pacific Delivers 10.7% Organic Growth

    JD Sports Sales Dip Globally as Asia Pacific Delivers 10.7% Organic Growth

    JD Sports lifted organic sales in Asia Pacific by 10.7 per cent in the six months to August 1. It was the retailer’s sole expanding region globally.

    Total group revenue dipped 0.7 per cent to $11.1 billion (£5.89 billion) during the half-year period. Weaker consumer spending across larger Western markets weighed on the top line.

    Asia Pacific Leads Organic Revenue

    North America generated the largest share of group receipts. However, regional demand slowed compared with previous reporting periods. Asia Pacific bucked that trend with double-digit organic expansion while other divisions contracted.

    Brick-and-mortar shopping drove the regional gain. The company opened six stores across Asia Pacific in the half-year, lifting same-store receipts through event-driven sports merchandise sales.

    “We remained focused on ‘controlling the controllables’ – progressing our strategy at pace while maintaining tight cost and capital discipline,” said Régis Schultz, chief executive of JD Sports.

    Store Expansion and Footfall Dynamics

    Stores remain central to the JD Sports operating model, generating 79 per cent of group turnover during the period. Organic e-commerce sales rose 5.2 per cent.

    For landlords across Asia, the numbers confirm steady footfall demand for multi-brand athletic anchors. Standalone mono-brand stores face margin volatility. In contrast, multi-brand formats draw wider traffic by consolidating footwear lines under one roof.

    Local wage pressure and fit-out inflation still threaten store expansion. Managing occupancy costs across prime retail hubs will determine whether new sites generate positive returns on capital over the next cycle.

    Product Mix Shifts to Apparel

    Category diversification provided extra sales insulation. Apparel and accessories climbed to 36 per cent of total group sales. Demand grew for technical running gear and newly introduced shoe silhouettes.

    A push into higher-margin apparel gives the retailer flexibility against footwear supply bottlenecks from major athletic brands. Regional rivals have also built up non-footwear inventory to defend transaction values against cautious discretionary spending.

    Earnings Rebound and Regional Headwinds

    Group pre-tax profit rose nearly 75 per cent to $454 million, up from $260 million a year earlier. The prior-year figure had absorbed a $307 million one-off charge that suppressed net earnings.

    World Cup demand lifted regional merchandise sales, helping offset softer retail sentiment in Australia and New Zealand. The next test comes in the second half, when tournament sales cycles fade and the retailer must sustain full-price sell-through rates across its Asia-Pacific stores.

  • Nike Appoints LVMH Executive Alexandre Arnault to Board

    Nike Appoints LVMH Executive Alexandre Arnault to Board

    Nike has appointed LVMH executive Alexandre Arnault to its board of directors. The hire adds luxury brand experience as the company battles an 80 percent share price collapse from its 2021 peak.

    Revenue reached $46.4 billion during fiscal 2026. That was a 2 percent decline in constant currency, driven by slower demand for core footwear lines across global markets.

    Arnault serves as deputy chief executive of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of French luxury conglomerate LVMH. He previously directed product and communications at Tiffany following its $16 billion acquisition in 2021. Before that, he ran luggage maker Rimowa for four years, leading collaborations with streetwear and designer labels.

    Luxury Playbook Meets Mass Footwear

    He joins a boardroom that includes Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Apple chairman Tim Cook. Arnault becomes the group’s first director drawn directly from luxury retail. Chief executive Elliott Hill wants to sharpen brand positioning across direct retail and wholesale channels. That push focuses on streetwear and basketball, where product excitement has waned.

    Regional markets across Asia-Pacific and Greater China present structural headwinds. Domestic sportswear groups have captured market share there, while specialist running brands claim prime mall space. Collaborations and elevated styling generate social cachet. Still, they cannot replace the volume engine of core running shoes that fill supplier order books and franchise retail floors.

    Streetwear Weakness and Wholesale Friction

    Retail partners have contended with slower sell-through across Nike Sportswear and Jordan lines. This forced discounts that compressed profit margins over recent quarters. Hill stated during the fiscal fourth-quarter review that weak demand in lifestyle categories continues to hurt current pricing and future order commitments.

    Distribution strategies between the two sectors differ sharply. Luxury houses thrive on tight product allocation and high direct margins. Mass sportswear operators in Asian metropolitan centres rely on wide availability, wholesale scale, and predictable replenishment.

    Delisting From S&P 100

    A sharp drop in valuation led S&P Dow Jones Indices to schedule Nike’s removal from the S&P 100 index on September 21. That ends an 18-year presence. The company’s stock has dropped 50 percent since the start of 2026.

    Pershing Square Capital Management founder Bill Ackman endorsed the board addition publicly. Ackman built and exited an equity position in Nike between mid-2024 and early 2025. Mark Parker, executive chairman of Nike, said Arnault had earned a reputation for helping global brands evolve in a complex marketplace.

    Earnings Test on October 1

    Hill told investors earlier in September that management is restructuring product creation and delivery for a decade-long recovery rather than quarter-to-quarter fixes. The overhaul covers design, manufacturing, and distribution to re-establish athletic performance credibility.

    Investors turn next to October 1, when Nike reports financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2027. Market consensus projects quarterly revenue of $11.35 billion and earnings of $0.45 per share.

  • Skechers Expands Asian Performance Lines 1 Year into Private Ownership

    Skechers Expands Asian Performance Lines 1 Year into Private Ownership

    Skechers is pushing deeper into performance categories across Asia as it evolves from a footwear brand into a broader lifestyle and sportswear business. In an interview with Inside Retail in September 2026, Cedrick Tan explained how the company adapts its strategy across diverse regional markets.

    The push comes 1 year into life as a privately held company. Skechers is expanding its focus beyond footprint expansion to deepen customer relationships through retail experiences, sports, entertainment, communities and local partnerships.

    Tan said the company sees room to grow across running, golf, football and emerging sports like pickleball, supported by proprietary technologies such as Hands Free Slip-ins, Arch Support and Glide-Step. The assortment also incorporates apparel, accessories and market-specific items like sports hijabs across Southeast Asia.

    Splitting Performance and Mass Retail

    Sportswear growth in Asia requires a divided merchandising model. Mature metro markets demand technical running and convenience-oriented shoes. Developing hubs, meanwhile, require sharper entry price points and everyday utility.

    Rivals like Nike and Adidas have faced inventory clearing cycles across Asia when pushing uniform global performance lines into secondary cities. Skechers aims to avoid those markdowns. It pairs its walking foundation with sport-specific entry models, lowering the price barrier for recreational runners and weekend athletes.

    Shifting Channel Strategies for Mall Landlords

    For shopping centre operators across Southeast Asia, the broader sportswear lineup alters floor space requirements. Skechers stores now compete for larger inline units instead of standard footwear bays. That footprint growth pressures traditional multibrand sports retailers that depend on basic sneaker sales.

    Growth should not be about expansion for its own sake. It needs to be relevant, sustainable and grounded in consumer demand.

    Apparel and sports accessories carry different margin profiles than molded footwear, raising supply chain demands for regional franchisees. Localized collections like modest athletic wear give the company an edge. The approach targets shoppers in Indonesia and Malaysia whom Western performance brands often overlook.

    Transition to Private Operations

    This merchandise pivot builds on a restructuring completed in September 2025, when Skechers shifted to operate as a privately held entity. Free from quarterly reporting pressure, regional managers recalibrated distribution networks. They moved away from door-count growth to focus on experiential stores and category-specific sports marketing.

    Distribution speed will test operations next as autumn performance collections roll out to flagship stores in Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta.

  • Malbon Golf Expands in China with Stores in Shanghai and Beijing

    Malbon Golf Expands in China with Stores in Shanghai and Beijing

    US golf lifestyle brand Malbon Golf is expanding its retail presence in China with locations in Shanghai and Beijing as part of its broader market expansion strategy.

    Founded in Los Angeles in 2017, the company has partnered with TKG Lifestyle to support its rollout, with Hangzhou and Shenzhen among the next markets in its pipeline.

    Tier-one footprint and localized store designs

    Earlier this year, the brand opened its first Mainland China flagship at Shanghai’s Jing’an Kerry Centre, followed by a second location in the West Bund and a store at Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun.

    Its Shanghai stores combine golf and streetwear aesthetics with references to local culture, with the West Bund site incorporating vintage imagery, creative elements, and interactive golf features. The Taikoo Li Sanlitun store in Beijing features localized design elements alongside city-specific apparel and lifestyle collections.

    The streetwear crossover in Chinese sports retail

    China-exclusive products form part of the company’s local strategy, with city-specific collections developed alongside its core golf apparel and accessories. Malbon’s partnership with TKG Lifestyle also extends to other regional markets, including Vietnam and the Philippines.

    Earlier expansion steps

    Malbon operates at the intersection of golf and lifestyle fashion, with collections and collaborations spanning apparel, accessories, and cultural partnerships since its founding in 2017. The planned expansion into Hangzhou and Shenzhen will further extend the label’s footprint across major Chinese cities.

  • China’s Kailas Opens First Directly Operated European Store in Chamonix

    China’s Kailas Opens First Directly Operated European Store in Chamonix

    Chinese mountain sports brand Kailas opened its first European retail store in Chamonix, France. The site gives the brand a direct physical foothold in the continental outdoor hub.

    It is the company’s first directly operated store outside China. Kailas already runs more than 300 wholesale and retail sales outlets worldwide.

    Direct operations replace third-party distribution

    Founded in 2003, Kailas built its business across mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing and trail running. The Chamonix store shifts that strategy. Instead of relying on wholesale accounts, event sponsorships and athlete outfitting, the brand now operates its own storefronts in competitive Western markets.

    Inside, the branch focuses on the Kailas Fuga trail-running line and doubles as a community hub for local runners. Kailas used the location to launch its Fuga Ex Pro G shoe. More than 80 runners and ambassadors from its Fuga Team and Fuga Mountain Club attended the debut.

    Challenging established alpine competitors

    Setting up shop in Chamonix puts Kailas in direct competition with European mountain sports incumbents on their home terrain. The French Alps draw dense traffic from elite trail runners and mountaineers. That makes the town an expensive proving ground rather than a high-volume revenue generator.

    For Asian sportswear makers, direct European retail brings higher overhead, strict labour regulations and steep lease commitments compared to domestic operations. Kailas bets that technical validation in the Alps will lift brand equity across international accounts and its core domestic market in China.

    Building on athlete partnerships

    This opening follows years of sports marketing that assembled an international roster of 107 sponsored athletes. Those sponsorships previously fed third-party retail distribution and online orders rather than dedicated company-owned doors.

    Future expansion will show whether the Chamonix location remains a standalone flagship or serves as a template for more direct-to-consumer stores across Western Europe.

  • Adidas Reopens 569-Square-Metre Chadstone Store Under Home of Sports Concept

    Adidas Reopens 569-Square-Metre Chadstone Store Under Home of Sports Concept

    Adidas reopened its Chadstone store in Melbourne with 569 square metres of selling space, making it the first location in the region built around the Home of Sports concept.

    The store returned to trading following a three-month renovation designed to expand floor capacity and introduce new merchandising layouts.

    Customisation and Footwear Ranges

    Part of the expanded floor plan houses a dedicated Originals shop-in-shop, using the brand’s Collection V2 design for the first time in the Australian market. Two main footwear walls show inventory spanning running, training, football and lifestyle lines.

    Shoppers can also use a dedicated Made for You counter near the point of sale. The station applies heat-pressed patches and personalised name sets directly onto apparel and shoes during purchase.

    Foot Traffic and Format Rollouts

    Securing prime space matters for sportswear operators chasing high-volume sales. The Chadstone shopping centre draws more than 22 million visitors each year, giving the brand direct exposure to one of the highest-density retail corridors in the country.

    Sportswear majors across Asia-Pacific continue to replace standard mall units with larger experience-led stores that combine performance categories with lifestyle streetwear under one roof. Nike and Puma have followed similar paths across regional gateway hubs, using flagship remodels to push direct-to-consumer sales and higher-margin personalised gear.

    The business opened the upgraded doors with a weekend roster of local pop-up collaborations, with attention now turning to how the Home of Sports layout performs ahead of wider network updates across Australia.

  • Lululemon Cuts Full-Year Forecast to US$10.35 Billion as Sales Slide

    Lululemon Cuts Full-Year Forecast to US$10.35 Billion as Sales Slide

    Lululemon Athletica lowered its full-year sales forecast to between US$10.35 billion and US$10.5 billion, posting its second consecutive guidance downgrade in three months.

    Comparable store sales dropped 9 per cent across the second quarter ended August 2, falling below market estimates and marking the company’s first quarterly decline on that metric since the pandemic.

    Shares tumbled 15 per cent in extended trading in New York following the announcement. The activewear maker has seen its equity lose more than 40 per cent of its value in 2026, trading at less than a quarter of its late-2023 record high.

    Slumping Americas and Rising Rivals

    Revenue in the Americas contracted 8 per cent during the quarter, while women’s apparel sales slipped 4 per cent. International revenue offered the lone bright spot, rising 4 per cent across overseas markets.

    Discounts and design missteps have eroded the brand’s pricing power across primary markets, opening space for fast-growing athleisure competitors such as Alo and Vuori. In Asia-Pacific, where premium sportswear demand has remained relatively steady, Lululemon faces a tight battle against agile regional entrants alongside these expanding Western labels.

    “While we continue to navigate some challenging dynamics, we are taking a prudent approach with our revised full-year outlook,” interim co-chief executive Meghan Frank said.

    Leadership Handover and Boardroom Truce

    Former Nike executive Heidi O’Neill assumes the chief executive role next week, concluding a four-month transition period after her appointment. She inherits depleted executive ranks following several senior departures this year.

    O’Neill must also manage relations with billionaire founder Chip Wilson. Wilson entered a cooperation pact with the board in May, agreeing to regular strategy sessions with O’Neill and an 18-month freeze on public criticism.

    Her first major operational milestone arrives with the release of third-quarter earnings in December, when investors will assess whether the product pipeline can arrest the slide in North American foot traffic.

  • Skechers Opens 8,650-Square-Foot Superstore at Sunway Pyramid in Malaysia

    Skechers Opens 8,650-Square-Foot Superstore at Sunway Pyramid in Malaysia

    Skechers opened an 8,650-square-foot Superstore at the Sunway Pyramid mall in Subang Jaya, expanding its physical presence in Malaysia.

    The relocated store is nearly six times larger than the brand’s previous 1,453-square-foot unit at the same shopping centre. It is the company’s first Superstore format in Subang Jaya. The launch lifts its nationwide network to 120 doors.

    Zoned layout and digital fitting

    Dedicated zones divide the catalogue into sections for walking, running, trail, pickleball, performance apparel and children’s collections. The store also includes SafeSize 3D foot-scanning hardware to generate personalised sizing data. Alongside the scanners, an in-store customisation station lets shoppers modify selected shoes and garments.

    Footwear retailers across Southeast Asia continue to trade standard mall units for large experiential spaces. The bigger layouts capture higher basket sizes and accommodate specialized athletic lines that boutique footprints cannot hold.

    Expansion pipeline across Malaysia

    Malaysia is a key sales volume driver for the American brand. Cedrick Tan, president of Skechers Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and South Korea, said the group will maintain its brick-and-mortar investment pace to keep up with domestic demand.

    More outlets will launch across the country over the coming months to build on the 120-store base.

  • Indian Sneaker Brand Zaydn Raises Fresh Capital for Expansion

    Indian Sneaker Brand Zaydn Raises Fresh Capital for Expansion

    Indian sneaker brand Zaydn has secured fresh capital to accelerate retail expansion across the domestic market.

    The investment will support the brand’s production scale and broader distribution network as consumer appetite for homegrown footwear labels increases across Indian urban centres.

    Targeting domestic sneaker demand

    Capital from the round will go directly toward expanding retail channels and widening the brand’s core product lineup. Indian consumers continue to shift casual wardrobe budgets toward sneakers and athletic styling, opening room for domestic players to compete alongside established global labels.

    Distribution strategy for direct-to-consumer and lifestyle footwear in India relies heavily on blended retail channels. Brands must balance online marketplaces with dedicated brand outlets to build repeat purchase rates and maintain stock efficiency in metro regions.

    The race for shelf space

    Homegrown footwear brands in India face stiff competition from multinational sporting goods giants and local value manufacturers alike. Established international brands hold the bulk of premium mall space, leaving younger labels to build loyalty through direct channels and targeted offline footprint before pushing into Tier-2 retail corridors.

    RetailNews Asia will track Zaydn’s subsequent channel rollout and store openings as the new capital deployment begins across regional markets.

  • Sportswear Brands Overhaul Supply Chains as Functional Demand Jumps 74%

    Sportswear Brands Overhaul Supply Chains as Functional Demand Jumps 74%

    Sportswear brands across Asia-Pacific are overhauling supply chains and trimming product lines to protect margins as regional functional apparel demand heads toward a 74 percent surge by 2033.

    Euromonitor projects the Asia-Pacific region will outpace all other markets in sportswear growth through 2030, driven by outdoor recreation, running, racket sports, and women’s athletics.

    Cutting Styles and Betting on Function

    Shoppers are resisting price increases across regional retail markets, forcing sportswear labels to rely on operational efficiency rather than markups. Valerie Van Tran, partner at Delta West Group in Singapore, said consumers increasingly favour durability and performance over fashion-led collections.

    “As consumers become increasingly value-conscious amid macroeconomic uncertainty, demand for functional apparel is projected to grow 74% by 2033, demonstrating that customers are willing to pay for quality rather than trends,” Van Tran said.

    Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo built a dominant regional footprint by focusing on core functional basics, while Chinese platforms Shein and PDD Holdings’ Temu use algorithm-driven forecasting to eliminate unsold stock. Traditional sportswear makers are now adopting similar digital tools to shorten development cycles and limit inventory risk.

    Pricing Pressure and Sourcing Shifts

    Passing higher input costs directly to shoppers is no longer working. Aditya Kaushik, analyst at Coresight Research, said brands must give consumers concrete reasons to pay premium prices, such as superior materials or improved fit, while ditching poor-selling styles.

    Brands need to tighten collections, work directly with manufacturers, and shift away from storewide discounting in favour of targeted promotions, Kaushik added. He pointed to Ralph Lauren’s strategy of improving product mix and customer experience to protect perceived value without eroding margins.

    For global and regional sportswear players, the operational playbook has shifted: inventory precision matters more than sheer volume expansion. Diversified sourcing networks are replacing concentrated factory footprints across the region, shielding apparel labels from trade tariffs and transport bottlenecks.

    Brand operators across the region now face the challenge of proving their investments in automated forecasting and tighter vendor networks before the 2027 production cycles lock in.

  • Lululemon Launches Wellbeing Garden Activation in Shanghai

    Lululemon Launches Wellbeing Garden Activation in Shanghai

    Lululemon launched its Wellbeing Garden activation in Shanghai on October 10, bringing its global Wellbeing for All campaign to mainland consumers. The project anchors community gatherings around physical movement and mental wellness across the city.

    The Canadian athletic apparel maker designed the installation to merge mindfulness exercises with product shows. Shoppers and fitness participants can access instructor-led sessions, interactive wellness spaces, and product trials on site.

    Community Building in China

    Experiential retail remains central to how international sports brands build customer loyalty in Tier 1 Chinese cities. Rather than relying solely on conventional store formats, sportswear labels deploy outdoor pop-ups, run clubs, and yoga sessions to keep foot traffic connected to physical stores.

    Lululemon has built its mainland presence around store ambassadors and free community workouts. The Shanghai garden activation extends that playbook by creating a dedicated destination outside standard shopping mall footprints.

    Competition in Premium Activewear

    Mainland China continues to attract intense competition among premium athletic and outdoor brands. Global names face rising domestic sportswear labels that are expanding their own lifestyle and technical apparel ranges.

    The Shanghai activation runs as retail operators across China watch fourth-quarter foot traffic patterns and community participation figures closely.

  • Lululemon Opens 1,220-Square-Metre Harajuku Flagship in Tokyo

    Lululemon Opens 1,220-Square-Metre Harajuku Flagship in Tokyo

    Lululemon has opened a 1,220-square-metre flagship store in Tokyo’s Harajuku district, its largest retail location across the Asia-Pacific region. The multi-level site serves as the brand’s first global flagship in Japan, built to anchor its wider expansion beyond traditional yoga apparel.

    The store design incorporates a sculptural logo centrepiece built with Japanese furniture maker Karimoku and Torafu Architects. It features commissioned artworks referencing Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park and Ura-Harajuku, alongside the company’s first in-store personalisation services in Japan and traditional Furoshiki gift wrapping options.

    Local Design and Product Mix

    Assortments in the Harajuku store focus heavily on category diversification, stocking lines for running, training, golf, tennis and commuting. Apparel includes dedicated Asia Fit cuts tailored specifically to regional sizing preferences, moving the brand deeper into everyday activewear.

    Elliot Harris, Lululemon’s senior vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific, noted that Japanese consumers demand high standards of craftsmanship, longevity and product education. The flagship operates as a community venue hosting running events like the Hatsu Run and sessions with local brand ambassadors.

    Betting on Japanese Sports Apparel

    While many apparel chains across East Asia trim physical square footage to cut overhead, premium athletic labels are taking the opposite route in Tier 1 retail hubs. Japan’s sports apparel market is projected to expand into a US$15 billion sector by 2032, driven by sustained local participation in fitness, running and outdoor movement.

    RetailNews Asia views the Harajuku opening as a direct play for brand equity in a market where shoppers still place heavy value on physical store service before buying online. Large-format spaces allow athletic brands to justify premium price points by bundling experiential marketing with technical product demonstrations.

    Lululemon is monitoring foot traffic and conversion metrics at the Harajuku site as it evaluates flagship store formats for other key metropolitan markets across Asia Pacific.

  • Anta Sports Lifts First-Half Revenue 12.9% to $6.1 Billion

    Anta Sports Lifts First-Half Revenue 12.9% to $6.1 Billion

    Anta Sports lifted first-half revenue 12.9 per cent to RMB43.51 billion ($6.1 billion) for fiscal 2026. Strong demand across the company’s outdoor portfolio drove the top-line gain.

    Revenue at the core Anta brand rose 4.8 per cent year on year to RMB17.77 billion ($2.64 billion). Sportswear line Fila added RMB15.05 billion ($2.24 billion), a 6.1 per cent increase over the six-month period.

    Outdoor labels outpace core brands

    Specialty outdoor and niche sports apparel carried the bulk of the group’s sales growth. The division covering Descente, Kolon Sport, Jack Wolfskin and female activewear label Maia Active surged 44.2 per cent to RMB10.69 billion ($1.59 billion).

    Spending on product development increased alongside the broader business. Anta allocated approximately RMB1.11 billion ($164.95 million) to research and development during the half.

    Chairman Ding Shizhong said the company will keep investing in product innovation, brand equity and regional retail upgrades. It also plans to build global management capabilities.

    Leadership reset at the flagship unit

    The financial update follows an executive change at the group’s main commercial division. Anta brand chief executive Xu Yang stepped down in July, citing personal family reasons. Directors placed co-chief executive Lai Shixian in charge of the flagship label on an interim basis.

    Market trends show a broader split in Chinese sportswear retail. Mainstream sneaker and apparel sales face stiffer price competition and saturated footprints. Meanwhile, premium outdoor lines continue to capture higher consumer spending in tier-one and tier-two cities.

    Beyond its directly run portfolio, Anta remains the controlling shareholder in Amer Sports, owner of Arc’teryx, Salomon, Wilson and Atomic. Focus now turns to how quickly interim chief Lai Shixian adjusts retail distribution for the core Anta brand ahead of the winter selling season.

  • Puma Relocates and Expands Flagship Store at VivoCity Singapore

    Puma Relocates and Expands Flagship Store at VivoCity Singapore

    Puma has opened its renovated flagship store at VivoCity in Singapore. The label shifted operations to a larger space on the mall’s ground level.

    Trading previously took place on level two. The new location sits on level one to capture heavier shopper traffic.

    Floor shift and category layout

    The expanded store houses the brand’s footwear, apparel, and accessories across distinct sections. Key product zones show running, training, team sports, and motorsports merchandise.

    “VivoCity is an important retail destination in Singapore, and this new flagship allows us to bring the full breadth of Puma to consumers in a more engaging and accessible way,” said Sanjay Roy, managing director of Puma Southeast Asia and Oceania.

    Sportswear footprint in regional malls

    Sports brands across Southeast Asia continue upgrading mall tenancies from upper levels to prime ground-floor units. The strategy targets casual lifestyle buyers alongside performance athletes. RetailNews Asia has observed similar moves across core retail nodes in Singapore, where flagship expansions anchor marketing and broader wholesale distribution.

    At VivoCity, the store is now fully operational with the brand’s complete seasonal line-up ahead of the final quarter retail cycle.

  • On Opens First Sydney Store at Westfield Bondi Junction

    On Opens First Sydney Store at Westfield Bondi Junction

    Swiss sportswear company On has opened its first Sydney store at Westfield Bondi Junction. The launch brings its Australian retail network to two physical locations.

    Located on Level 3, the 493-square-metre space pushes the brand’s global corporate-owned store count past 70 units across major metropolitan centres.

    Footwear, Collaborations and Local Design

    The shop carries On’s core inventory across running, training, tennis, and lifestyle footwear, apparel, and accessories. Shoppers can also buy limited-edition collaborative collections with external partners, including Post Archive Faction, Sky High Farm Goods, and grocery brand Erewhon.

    Local design elements run throughout the interior. Builders fitted the unit with textured concrete, sandstone-style seating, regional tiles, and a bespoke accent wall created by Australian finish firm Pretty in Paint Australia to match coastal running corridors around Bondi.

    “It is a place that feels deeply connected to what On stands for,” said Lauren Portelli, commercial director for Oceania at On.

    Direct Retail Push in Asia-Pacific

    Direct retail expansion has become a primary channel for performance footwear labels seeking higher margins and greater control over brand presentation across Asia-Pacific. Wholesale distribution through specialty running shops gave On its initial market volume in Australia. Dedicated company stores now allow the business to show full technical lines alongside higher-priced lifestyle apparel that multi-brand stockists rarely carry.

    Founded in Zurich in 2010, the company now distributes products across more than 80 countries worldwide. Attention turns to whether the Swiss group will add direct retail sites in Melbourne and Brisbane as it scales regional store operations.