Store gallery: Four brands under one roof at Asics' new Regent Street flagship

When French Connection decided to call it a day on Regent Street in 2016, a large unit became available. It’s status as close to Oxford Circus, with very high footfall and tourist spend, as well as local demand, were part of the package.

Opening in a 9,041 sq ft store, this is a location that many would envy. The Asics global flagship trades over two full floors (ground and basement), and also has a smaller mezzanine level.

“In terms of design, although the shopfloor has many features – from a DJ booth to backlit wall displays – it still remains minimalist”

Regent Street is filled with large flagship stores, and some are seemingly endless sources of revenue. Going by the number of people shopping at this new Asics store, it looks like this move has paid off.

As a company, Asics owns four brands: Asics, Asics Tiger, Haglöfs and Onitsuka Tiger. In this flagship, all four are now housed under one roof for the first time.

Asics’ direct to consumer director Scott Wakefield says: “For us, it’s about broadening the customer base in one location. We recognise that direct-to-consumer is a key growth strategy for us. We have some of the standard elements [in the store] that you’d expect.”

Not your average sports store

From the outset, this new store has been made to look like it packs a tech punch, with the main window display featuring robotic arms that pick up training shoes.

Once inside, the lighting is attention-grabbing and looks good. Lime green and aqua-coloured fluorescent tube lighting crisscrosses the length of the ground floor.

To the right of this lighting is a long cash desk with a matte metal front on which the company’s timeline is inscribed, ending with the text: ‘The story continues’.

Video content adorns the walls along with large graphics, and there are sections throughout filled with single training shoes.

At the time of visiting the IAAF World Championships were still ongoing in London, with much being made of this in the store’s other windows.

“There’s no denying that Asics is serious about its running credentials, where the products are about performance just as much as fashion”

In terms of design, although the shopfloor has many features – from a DJ booth to backlit wall displays – it still remains minimalist.

The interior has been designed by the London-based Brinkworth Design, who have a history of working with street and sports brands.

More to explore

The first-floor mezzanine comes in two parts: one houses more sports trainers and the other is currently closed to customers.

Here you will find the more common sizes of the most popular styles, meaning they can be signalled by another device and delivered to the basement via a chrome-plated chute.

‘Motion ID’ in the basement is about performance and is filled with running machines, where customers can have their gait analysed prior to buying a pair of shoes.

There’s no denying that Asics is serious about its running credentials, where the products are about performance just as much as fashion.

Wakefield says: “Typically our stores are between 200 and 300 sq m,” which means that at 9,000 sq m, this store is radically larger than any other.

On cost he is a little vague, stating that the company has “invested multiple millions”. On Asics’ nearby store on Argyll Street, Wakefield says they are “looking to exit”, but the Marble Arch branch will continue to trade.

As for the future, Wakefield says that a “clear growth strategy is in place that will see 100 stores [open] across Europe by 2020”.

At a time of retail retrenchment by many, this is a company that has its sights set on becoming one of the biggest players in years to come, with the Regent Street store setting the standard.