Adidas to open at Auckland

Auckland International airport has announced that Adidas will be opening a new licensed concept store airside at the international terminal in July. The 150sq m store will stock a wide range of licensed adidas apparel and footwear for men and women, including team sportswear for the All Blacks, Rebel Sport Super 14 teams, international soccer teams including Chelsea and Liverpool, and basketball and cricket teams. It will also carry some product exclusive to the airport store.

The store is situated between the airside fashion and destination product precincts in the international terminal. And will be the brand’s third retail location in New Zealand after Wellington and Newmarket in Auckland.

Auckland general manager retail Nick Forbes said: "The company has identified the need for an iconic brand to extend the range of retail options and Adidas and their All Blacks range is an excellent fit."

Adidas New Zealand managing director Greig Bramwell said: "The airport store will offer something quite different from our Sports Performance Centre in Newmarket, Auckland, and our Originals Concept Store in Wellington, by showcasing our licensed product offerings. The store will focus largely on New Zealand made All Blacks products - including the latest adidas All Blacks jersey, which was recently launched - but travellers will also be able to purchase a wide range of gear from their favourite sports teams."        

The opening is timed to offer New Zealanders travelling to the Rugby World Cup in France a range of All Blacks merchandise. The five-year contract means that the store will be open through to and beyond the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.

Auckland’s retail income increased 8.3 percent to NZ$46.2m in the first half of this financial year. Following completion of the new upper level on the international terminal pier, the opening of new duty-free and specialty stores and the opening of a 2,200sq m retail precinct at the domestic terminal, retail trading has seen a marked improvement over previous periods, the airport said..