CRC Sports Co, the operator of Supersports, has rebranded its business as a sports fashion store to tap into changing behaviour by millennials.
The rebrand, which started early last month, sets to modernise its brand and reposition itself from a performance store to a sports fashion outlet, said Siraporn Wattana, vice-president of CRC Sports.
The Supersports logo also got a facelift, featuring a green movement to represent an environmentally friendly concept.
"Our new motto is 'The new Supersports, where Sport is fashion', in response to the trend of millennials being fashion-conscious, cool, healthy and cheerful," Mrs Siraporn said.
The healthy living trend reflects the lifestyle of the new generation, who place more focus on health and love to exercise by participating in a variety of sports to keep fit, she said.
Mrs Siraporn noticed the sporty trend has become more popular among young office workers as well, who have changed the way they dress -- from formal office attire with high heels or leather shoes to lively, comfy sneakers and sports jackets.
Undoubtedly, exercise and sports have dominated every aspect of the 21st-century lifestyle, she said. Every corner of office buildings, restaurants, bars and shopping malls are awash in athletic leisure wear and products, said Mrs Siraporn.
The market size for sporting goods in Thailand is expected to be worth 30 billion baht in 2018.
She said the company has already changed three Supersports to its new image, including the one at CentralWorld. Another 50 stores are scheduled to be changed by the first quarter of next year, said Mrs Siraporn.
There are 84 Supersports stores across the country, including the latest at Robinson Lifestyle complex in Chaiyaphum province.
Apart from offering products at physical stores, the company will focus more on online shopping next year.
"We were successful in expanding the online channel this year. We found new target customers, particularly from upcountry," she said.
Some 300 million baht of sales came from the online channel last year, accounting for 3.5% of Supersports' total sales of 8.5 billion.
This year the company expects online sales to make up 5% of its total sales, or 500 million baht of an estimated 10 billion.
Sales of Supersports have been robust since the third quarter, and are expected to continue through next year, spurred by the rebrand, adjusting product merchandise, as well as the expansion online, said Mrs Siraporn.
The general election scheduled for February should also improve consumer sentiment, she said.
