, in an elevated environment,” Pip Edwards and Claire Tregoning, co-founders of P.E. Nation, told Inside Retail.  “It’s a way to showcase P.E. Nation in a space that is brand-led, not just product-led. [The store] is all about the tangible: the ability for customers to touch and feel the brand and its energy, and gives us the opportunity to create context for our collections, [and] present the products with our own unique style. “It’s a real ‘brand moment’.” Up until recently, P.E. Nation had been largely focused on its wholesale distribution, explained Edwards. The business is stocked in 95 countries, across 600 global stockists. However, the team had been exploring the idea of launching a physical space for some time, and when the location on George Street popped up, they “knew this was it”.  Inside P.E. Nation’s new store on George Street, Sydney. Source: Supplied. Another reason that the business determined it was the right time to launch a physical space was the increasing diversification of its range. P.E. Nation initially started as an activewear brand, but has since added clothing such as outerwear, shirts, and dresses to its line up, as well as fashion accessories such as bags, socks and beanies. “We have so many categories, but very rarely are they shown all in one place,” Edwards said.  “This new store gives us the opportunity to bring the whole of P.E. Nation under one roof, [and] the opportunity to show our men’s and women’s ranges together.” And while George Street is the first of the business’ locations, it won’t be the last. Edwards said P.E. Nation will launch more stores going forward, but is likely to keep the focus on a few select locations, rather than going big. “For P.E. Nation, it’s not about rolling out hundreds of stores, quite the opposite,” Edwards said.  “It’s about using retail to create that ‘pinnacle’ brand moment; a few great stores in great locations in the right cities around the world. That’s our plan going forward.” Inside P.E. Nation’s new store on George Street, Sydney. The Nation expands As with many brands, the Covid-19 pandemic served as a particularly game-changing moment for P.E. Nation. The business has enjoyed strong growth since 2020, as athleisure became integral to many people working from home through the pandemic. This success came with its own challenges: notably, the same supply chain limitations that hit most retailers throughout the same period, and the lessons learned in managing teams remotely.  However, the pandemic also allowed P.E. Nation to more deeply understand their proposition and customers; ‘The Nation’, as Tregoning called it. “We learned that men are as keep to be a part of The Nation as women, and that our unisex vibe is something that really resonates with our customers,” Tregoning said.  “Those things really inform the way we think and design our ranges. We’ve also learned that the customer, like us, wants to be connected to the brand, and that they are open to new expressions of The Nation, like Swim and Snow.” The move to more ‘directional’ collections, which focus on ranges for specific purposes, such as Swim, Snow, the fashion-forward Edit, and OG Sport – a return to P.E. Nation’s original athleisure concept – is driving where the business heads in the next few years.  Sustainability is also high on the business’ agenda, with OG Sport being fully sustainably made and the new store’s sustainable fitout. “We call it our Conscious Nation, and it’s where the future of the business lies,” said Edwards.