Sportsgirl is a 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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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 Swanston 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.
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 its 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. It 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.
In the 1970s, Sportsgirl continued opening stores in locations throughout Australia. It continued its 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.
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.
In the 1990s, Sportsgirl opened stores in New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand. In 1999 the Sportsgirl Sportscraft Group was placed into Voluntary Administration after its, then, South African parent withdrew funding for the business comprising Sportsgirl, Sportscraft and David Lawrence. Each of the brands was sold separately, with Sportscraft being purchased by the Sussan Corporation. [1] [2]
Sportsgirl launched the Sportsgirl website - sportsgirl.com.au.
2007- Sportsgirl launched its rewind range. It brought back some of its classic pieces from the 80s such as the Sportsgirl logo tee, beach towels and duffle bags which were iconic for the label.
2009 - Sportsgirl launches the label 'Romance Was Born' in stores featuring music from Melbourne indie/electro band Neon Knights (band)