Sports brands are opening stores one after another in the Shibuya and Harajuku areas from this autumn. Whilst many other retailers are suffering with their stores closing due to rising rents in the area, sports brands are rushing in to take up the empty lots for their new flagship stores.
Mizuno, Japan's sportswear maker will be opening their flagship store on the Meiji Street. This store will be their core store as they start to build themselves as a Specialty store retailer of Private-label Apparel (SPA).
Fashion in Japan announces that the store will be of 140 meters square and opens on October 14th. The new building built on the same street b6 will hold Columbia Sportswear, completing the Meiji Street with other brands like Adidas, Lacoste, DC Shoes, Nautica, North Face and other sportswear brands.
Eyewear brand Oakley and snowboard brand Burton will open their stores also on the Meiji Street. All these brands are well known already in Japan with many retailers holding their products, but the new stores will be their first self-standing store in Japan.
Burton's store will be similar to their NY Soho store, but will have touches of Japanese culture and will sell their new ladies line B by Burton.