re inch has a reason and a purpose for the customer to come and shop in our new store. The concept focuses on brand enhancement, efficiency and productivity and also equips Under Armour to make all athletes better through an elevated consumer journey that integrates technology and experiences with exceptional product”. While other retailers often choose the CBD as a location for their first store in Sydney, Under Armour decided upon Macquarie Shopping Centre in suburban North Ryde, which Reani described as “one of the most relevant malls in Sydney”. “It has a strong entertainment precinct, it’s close to a uni and business park – it’s a good combination of consumers and traffic in line with our target consumer that can help us test and learn, so we can use those learnings to further expand our direct-to-consumer platform over time,” Reani told Inside Retail. “I believe the high streets are going to struggle in the short term, especially when you combine the decrease in traffic with the very expensive operation costs, especially around rent. That’s why we were very strategic on what would be our first location in Sydney, making sure it’s close to people’s homes and located in a premium shopping mall.” Under Armour first launched into Australia in 2014 through a partnership with Rebel Sport and has since launched its own stores on the Gold Coast, and in Melbourne and Brisbane. Focus on digital The Baltimore-based sports brand is well-known for its investment in innovation and last year, it even developed spacesuits with NASA. Its performance-led ranges, Recover and Rush, both utilise mineral-infused fabrics which absorb the energy athletes expend while working out. The textiles in the Recover range reflect the energy back to the wearer’s muscles so they feel less fatigued and the muscles are able to recover more quickly. When the pandemic first hit, like many retailers, the brand turned its focus to digital, including its Map My Run and Map My Fitness apps, where it launched a platform called Healthy at Home. “We saw a dramatic increase in terms of our consumers on our connected fitness apps. We’ve seen spikes in the connections and workouts lodged on our platforms and it’s become a way to socialise rather than train alone. We’ve tried to provide relevant content to service those needs. Healthy at Home is a series of online workout videos and fitness challenges you could do individually or with your family and upload them in our apps and remain engaged,” explained Reani. At Under Armour’s other app, My Fitness Pal, the brand unlocked select premium features accessible to everyone, including a new recipe collection called Support Your Immune System, a 14-day plan developed by the Under Armour human performance team in the US to help users build their immunity over time. This story appears in the August 5, 2020, issue of Inside Retail Weekly.