is its integration of advanced technology. The store features an AI-powered 3D foot-scanning machine to assist customers with finding the perfect fit for their sports gear, as well as a 25-metre running track where customers can test their chosen shoes in a real-life setting. Beyond being a mere retail store, Supersports 3.0 introduces lifestyle gadgets such as a PlayStation 5 console setup, a Golf Simulator, and the Jersey Wall, immersing customers in a world where sports and entertainment seamlessly coexist. The story so far According to Len Lertsumitkul, head of strategy and business excellence at CRC Sports, the team wanted the store to represent a new chapter for the Supersports brand in Thailand. “We wanted to take inspiration from the best in class, in terms of branded stores, and replicate that modern shopping experience at Westville. We’ve also updated the look and feel of the store to be more welcoming with a warmer tone,” Lertsumitkul told Inside Retail. He said initiatives like the foot-scanning machine and the running track are all results of the company listening to customer feedback and trying to create an immersive buying environment for a more holistic customer experience. “Apart from ensuring customers can make informed decisions, on the operational side, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and camera technology also allows us to better understand and analyse the performance of our categories, and improve retail metrics in totality,” he added. Another unique selling point of the new store is the omnichannel capability that has been built into the operational side of things. Alexandre Hammel, president of CRC Sports, told Inside Retail, “Being a bricks-and-mortar retailer, customers have the opportunity to order and pick up in-store. This is one of the elements that is now considered a prerequisite for customer journeys these days, and we put a great emphasis on this.” Premium targeting Lertsumitkul also pointed out that the store is positioned more on the premium end of the spectrum. It is situated in an area where customers are relatively affluent, and most of them are seeking personalised trends. “We’re noticing in categories like running shoes or golfing, customers are trading up as they have more disposable income and understand the sports better. We are seeing more demand in these niche markets, so we want to have the best product mix for them,” he said. “We are also closely monitoring the hype trends in the marketplace. For example, On Running shoes are hot these days, so we make sure we have this brand stocked up in the store. Tennis is another category on the up, so we make sure we have the top brands displayed in the store, too.” The bigger picture Supersports is now a 26-year-old company and is part of the Central Retail conglomerate, which is now 76 years old. Hammel noted that the company has a strong presence in Thailand and Vietnam, and also across Europe. “The pandemic made us undergo a huge transformation,” he added. “We became more omnichannel, we built an app, and we made e-commerce a real priority. This has helped us become stronger, and our operational processes have improved as well.” Business has been good since 2022, with sustainable growth as the company has been focusing on new products, in trend brands and closely listening to customer feedback to gauge their needs and wants. Hammel expects growth to surpass pre-Covid times by 2024, and a lot of this is down to how the company approaches the curation of its product mix. It’s all about identifying core categories and pinpointing growth areas and demand from consumers.  Lertsumitkul mentioned that more consumers in Thailand are leaning towards healthier lifestyles these days. Especially after the pandemic, more consumers have new goals in their lives, and the success of Thai athletes in sports like golf and badminton has also created a new aspirational reason for consumers to get serious about sports. Ultimately, Hammel acknowledges that the Supersports brand is in it for the long haul. Central Retail may be a publicly listed company, but at the heart of it, it’s still a family-run business that has a very strong culture. “Like our chairman says, we are in a marathon, not a sprint. So it’s important that everything we do is sustainable. Things must be well thought out; of course mistakes will happen, but it’s important to learn from mistakes, too. We are also big on empowering our people, as entrepreneurship is another winning factor that is embedded in our business philosophy,” he concluded.