​St Anns Shopping Centre hits 'big floorplate' capacity with Sports Direct signing

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jan 18, 2022

There’s no signs of a slowdown in Frasers Group’s expansion plans. Its core athletic sportswear brand Sports Direct is opening another flagship store, this time at the 280,000 sq ft St Anns Shopping Centre in Harrow.

Shopping centre operator Railpen said the key signing “marks a great start to 2022 for St Anns as our last big floorplate is now let”.

Spanning 20,000 sq ft across two levels, Sports Direct will take the key position at the entrance to the shopping centre on College Road.

Apart from featuring key brands Nike, adidas, Under Armour, ASICS and Puma across disciplines including running, football and outdoor, the store also houses its USC “trend-focused” brand which includes premium branded denim, urban fashion, accessories, footwear and beauty. Brands will include Converse, Champion, Levi’s, Hilfiger Denim and Lacoste.

Richard Van Lente, Senior Asset & Development Manager at Railpen, said: “Sports Direct… will be a great addition to the destination and will bolster the diverse offering of brands at the centre. 

He added: “With St Anns bumper Christmas trading period, we are confident that the opening of Sports Direct will help attract more customers and provide more choice for our existing visitors.” 

Last June, Sports Direct announced a major retail push into mainland Europe while launching a “trailblazing” £10 million remodelled flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, alongside a new flagship store in Leicester.

At the time, the brand also announced further flagship stores will open in Birmingham, Manchester and  Sheffield.

It described the reopening of the London store as marking a “pivotal moment in an era of massive change” for the brand, which also aims to open flagship stores in “all” capital cities in Europe as part of a five-year plan to elevate its status on the international stage.