Sports Direct has made its African debut with two store openings in Kenya, through Frasers Group’s strategic partnership with Hudson Group.
The new stores, which are based in the country’s capital Nairobi at Sarit Centre and Galleria Mall, bring the company’s “multi-brand retail proposition” to a new market.
Spanning 930 sqm at Sarit Centre and 725 sqm at Galleria Mall, the stores sell a selection of sports and lifestyle brands, including Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Puma, New Balance and Asics.
The sites “bring together performance, training and lifestyle” with dedicated areas set out for various sports categories.
Both stores feature the sportswear retailer’s signature running, football and outdoor concepts, which combine specialist product ranges, expert advice, and digital tools to offer customers a tailored shopping experience.
Additionally, the shops showcase Frasers Group’s own-brand portfolio, Everlast, Slazenger, Karrimor, Jack Wills, and USA Pro.
To celebrate the store openings, a three-day “sports village” festival took place at Galleria Mall from 30 October to 1 November.
The festival featured interactive activations from brand partners, including a Nike 100m speed challenge, an Adidas 3v3 football challenge and Everlast training sessions.
The event also included a live DJ and prizes, creating opportunities for customers to engage with the brands.
Hudson Group CEO Chris Muscat said: “We are incredibly proud to reach a significant milestone for Hudson Group and an important moment in our partnership with Frasers Group with the opening of two Sports Direct stores in Kenya.
“Through these openings we have changed the landscape of sports retail in Nairobi, offering a large format dedicated sports retail experience that gives the Kenyan customers access to world-class sports brands combining leading sports brands as well as more accessible and affordable offerings.”
He continued: “This unique proposition in Kenya’s sports retail sector was made possible through Hudson’s extensive experience in the region and Frasers’ ambitions to bring large format retailing to Africa in the sporting goods sector.
“We are incredibly proud of our teams and partners for bringing this vision to life and look forward to building on this momentum as we expand Sports Direct across Africa.”
