California can. For Brisbane in 2032, there must be some trepidation. Comparisons to Paris will be unfair. Doing it the LA way is inauthentic. Which is what Brisbane needs to focus on. Authenticity. Doing the games the Brisbane way. In 2032, Australia will be in the shop window on a scale not seen since Sydney 2000. A lot has changed since then. No one is more familiar with the shop window than retailers and as Aussie retailers look ahead to 2032, there are lessons to be learned from Paris and London before that. Of course, the retail impact of the games is difficult to quantify. What is true is that the London games had a negative impact on London retail during the games. Pre and post-games, they experienced uplift. But during, retail suffered as all the focus was on the spectacle, not the shopping. The stress on transport links and concerns about getting around kept shoppers away. The same effect happened in Paris. In fact, London benefited in 2024 from the Paris Games with luxury shoppers heading to London having been put off by the disruption in Paris. For Brisbane, the lesson here is to be prepared. Hospitality and accommodation will receive a huge much-needed boost. However, core retail may actually have some short-term negative effects. But, pre and post-games, retailers should benefit. Create memorable experiences For those retailers looking to take advantage of the Olympic effect, the keywords are experience and entertainment. Create memorable experiences as an extension of the games. Theme activity and gamify the retail experience. For example, in Paris Nike used its retail space as a window to the EMEA region. The store on the Champs-Elysees extended opening hours and hosted a series of themed events, taking advantage of its athlete portfolio for a series of in-store appearances. Further, Nike followed the theme of using Paris as a backdrop and inspiration for the games with in-person activations at the Centre Pompidou Art Museum. Which is, of course, the building that inspired the design of the iconic Nike Air Max 1. The architectural codes of the building and largely transparent structure inspired the first shoe with a visible air bubble. An extraordinary narrative that tied Nike retail authentically into Paris. Now, of course, Brisbane hasn’t inspired too many Nike sneakers but there is opportunity for retailers to tie the Brisbane Olympic narrative into retail experiences in authentic interactive storytelling and experiences. On a basic level, personalised shopping experiences and seamless payment optionsare a must. Watch out for the brand police The watch out for Brisbane and wider Australian retailers will be the Olympic brand police. The IOC is stringent on supporting its corporate partners and comes down hard on businesses large or small infringing on trademarks. Even words like torch and 5-rings are protected. In both London and Paris, there were horror stories of small businesses infringing. In Paris and London, a list of banned words included gold, silver, bronze, summer and London or Paris respectively, if they gave the impression of a formal connection to the Olympics. Hundreds of uniformed Olympic officers touring the country enforcing sponsors’ multimillion-pound marketing deals are to be expected in the lead-up to the games. The clear advice for Brisbane retailers is to tread carefully and err on the side of caution. That said Brisbane retailers can box clever. Promotions, discounts and exclusive product launches tied to the event and the timing can create buzz and drive sales. In Paris, Lacoste, for example, brought out a range to celebrate the 1924 Paris games. Again, authenticity is key. Doing it the Brisbane way and looking to celebrate the games in ways only Brisbane can do. As the games approach a few retail basics will be important. Stock management, increasing inventory and ensuring popular items are restocked quickly. With the potential for large crowds and potential disruption through protests and the like, it will be important to have security plans in place. Finally, staff training. It was noticeable in both Paris and London how the volunteers set the tone for the feel-good factor and harnessing this can have positive impact for retailers. Ensure there are enough staff to handle increased foot traffic and extend opening hours. Train staff to handle diverse customer needs and focus on customer service. The feel-good factor of the games should be reflected in the customer experience and staff can help retailers bring home the gold.