Sports Direct opens new mega-store in Manchester’s Arndale centre

Sports Direct is set to open a huge new store in Manchester’s Arndale Centre.

The five-floor shop will open its doors on Friday 24 March, with dedicated areas for football, running and specialist sports, alongside men’s, women’s and kidswear. The discount leisure retailer has signed a 15-year lease on the flagship unit which was formerly occupied by the old BHS and is relocating from its existing smaller premises in the centre.

The 56,000sq ft shop is also home to lifestyle brand USC which will have its own concession, games retailer GAME, and Belong, an area which will have games, consoles, and accessories, catering for a variety of appetites, from casual players to aspiring professionals. Sports Direct says there will be a big focus on catering for runners, with new tech in store to run a gait analysis. This helps runners identify whether they have pronation, supination or a neutral gait so they can find the best running shoe for them, reduce injury and improve running efficiency - without having to run on a treadmill instore.

To kick-start the space, a panel of running experts, including: Beth Potter (Olympic triathlete & 2022 Commonwealth Games Bronze medallist),Laviai Nielsen (British sprinter and hurdler), Lina Nielson (British 400m hurdler) and Phil Sesemann (British marathon runner and part-time doctor), are going to be on hand on the opening day at the store to share their top tips.

Michael Murray, chief executive of Frasers Group, at the launch of the new store, said: “Our third Sports Direct flagship, marks another step towards our strategic goal to become the number one sports retailer in EMEA. Each new store opening is pivotal to the next phase of growth for the Group, as we continue to bring the very best brands, environment, product innovations, and experiences to the high street. Manchester is a significant location for the Group, and we’re excited to be opening our next flagship in the city.”