Sportsgirl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sportsgirl is a successful women's apparel clothing chain, owned and operated by the Sussan Retail Group in Australia.
The first Sportsgirl stores were opened in 1948 in Melbourne, as a younger, more fun alternative to the more conservative sister label Sportscraft. Since that time, the Sportsgirl brand has grown from a few boutique stores to a major Australian fashion brand.
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[edit] History
[edit] 1940s and 1950s
The first Sportsgirl store was opened in 1948 in Swanston Street, Melbourne, by the Bardas family. The Bardras family was also manufacturers of the Sportscraft clothing label, sold through department stores. At the time of opening the Swanson Street store, the Bardas family had no other retail outlets.
In 1956, the year of the Melbourne Olympics, the rent on the Swanston Street property was raised and the family moved the Sportsgirl shop to Collins Street, Melbourne. In 1959, the Bardas family purchased this property when it came onto the market, and the acquisition of this prominent flagship site became a significant element in Sportsgirl's retailing and business strategy.
[edit] 1960s
In the 1960s, Sportsgirl emerged as a leader in the Australian fashion industry by successfully developing a brand image and a store identity that moved fashion retail away from the concept of established department stores to the concept of the lifestyle fashion boutique.
Sportsgirl used interior design, visual merchandising, graphic design, and advertising to build it's fashion brand into one that appealed to the emerging youth market of the 1960s.
As well as carefully choosing overseas imports, Sportsgirl sourced its fashion lines from young Australian designers. They also employed heavy use of print advertising and merchandising display to create a Sportsgirl identity that linked its clothing lines to a set of lifestyle values and accessories.
In 1960, Sportsgirl opened a Sydney flagship store on Pitt Street.
[edit] 1970s
In the 1970s, Sportsgirl continued opening stores in locations throughout Australia. They continued heavy use of mass advertising through print and media advertising that linked fashion with lifestyle images.
Sportsgirl was one of the first fashion retailers in Australia to sell homewares, body, and beauty products.
[edit] 1980s
By the 1980s, Sportsgirl had over 100 stores throughout Australia. Sportsgirl launched its own magazine, cosmetics, and perfume lines. The Melbourne and Sydney flagship stores opened their own in-store cafes.
[edit] 1990s
In the 1990s, Sportsgirl opened stores in New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
[edit] 2000s
Sportsgirl launched the Sportsgirl website - sportsgirl.com.au.
