ASICS Factory Outlets 2008-2014

ASICS Europe approached us in 2008 to collaborate in starting the rollout of Factory Outlets throughout Europe.

At that time the brand had never opened owned and operated outlet stores in Europe, and the EMEA team consisted of only two people, a retail manager and a real estate manager.

WESTS DESIGN from Manchester, UK, was hired to create the retail concept, and GOTADIS to develop it into a series of stores, the first of which would be in Las Rozas Outlet centre, Madrid.

Aside from usual architectural and project management services, GOTADIS also coordinated the engineering details of the furniture system, in collaboration with Spanish manufacturer STIL RICART. The concept had to display the high-tech DNA of the ASICS brand, and give customers a premium shopping experience, while remaining cost-effective, flexible and durable.

The system was based on standard steel slotted uprights, to maximise flexibility, completed with custom-designed hanging bars and MDF shelves, to achieve a unique, high quality concept. All bars in contact with hangers would be made of brushed stainless steel for durability, whilst the MDF parts were finished in lacquer with additional coating of special UVI varnish for extraordinary resistance to scratches and discolouration.

All furniture units would be equipped with impactful interchangeable magnetic graphic headers to help navigate the different sections of the store and to display brand graphics and logos, that would collaborate in creating an intensely branded, unique environment.

ASICS was one of the first brands to invest in high quality lighting for its outlet concept. London based INTO lighting Ltd developed a system of double railings with inserted metal-halide orientable spotlights at a temperature of 4000ºK, which would contribute to the high-tech, lab-like quality of the retail space, in accordance to the brand’s DNA. Metal halide bulbs would later be changed to LED for more durability and sustainability.

GOTADIS also suggested to use innovative continuous resin floorings initially developed for laboratories or hospitals, by Spanish company ATYDECO. Although delicate to install, this flooring proved to be extremely wear-resistant, and its aspect contributed highly to differentiate the ASICS outlet stores from the competition, giving them a distinctive technological look and feel.

Changing rooms were built using an HPL panel system such as the one used in gyms, which had brand graphics digitally printed directly onto the panel, an innovative technology at that time.

Last but not least, GOTADIS developed a cost-effective, modular timber shelving kit for the stockroom, that was modulated with standard shoebox sizes to maximise capacity, and would be safe and strong enough for staff to climb directly on them if no stepladder was available.

Although the rollout started slowly with only five openings in the initial two years, the concept's success soon took the pressure to sixteen openings per year, in 2012 and 2013. ASICS Retail department grew to more than 10 employees, and GOTADIS also needed to adapt to the challenge: A network of professional partners was established from Poland to Portugal to handle all local tasks such as authorisations and construction supervision, whilst GOTADIS remained the single point of contact for the client and managed the implementation and development of the much-needed procedures that would keep the train from potentially derailing.

All of ASICS Factory Outlet store openings managed by GOTADIS from 2008 to 2014 happened in time and without significant budget variations.

Initially developed for the European market, the ASICS factory outlet concept was soon adopted as a world-wide standard, and was still being implemented across the five continents ten years later.