SPT Football, Blackburn

Football (soccer) is a sport on the rise in Australia, with grass roots participation numbers that make executives of the AFL and NRL very nervous. The clever heads at traditional Melbourne sporting retailer Sportsmart identified a niche in the market for a large format, multi-brand, dedicated football store, that caters to all consumer segments within the football category. From the “football obsessed teen”, right the way up to professional players and clubs. The first part of ACRD’s involvement was to create the brand. Various names and logo designs were presented with the final decision landing upon SPT Football and a logo that sits comfortably alongside Sportsmart’s existing branding. A site in Blackburn was secured which provided the environment for a multi-level destination retail experience, situated right in the heartland of Melbourne’s football rich eastern suburbs. In response to the brief, ACRD’s team formulated a dynamic design solution that delivered 2 x dedicated anchor brand environments, mecca footwear wall, indoor trial space, and jersey customisation lab all on the retail floor, with further facilities for dedicated large team sales with meeting showrooms, fitting area, and presentation theatrette all on the lower level. With a first to market response with this store, SPT Football has created a buzz in Melbourne’s football community, answering the call for a dedicated football retail destination. Sportsmart Director Gerrard Woods and his team have entrenched themselves and their new brand firmly into the market by creating significant partnerships and initiatives with major local clubs and football associations that will ensure the success of the store. They have created Melbourne’s true football destination.