Elevating Nike Women’s Fitness for Sports Direct

How SmithBrewer re-imagined the Nike Women’s Fitness zone for Sports Direct.

Seeing the Opportunity

Before the refit, Women’s Fitness lagged behind the rest of the store journey.
The space needed elevating, with the aim of creating a presence that felt considered, premium and hard to ignore.
From the outset, the focus was on giving Nike Women’s Fitness the same level of polish and confidence found elsewhere in the flagship.

Prototype, Test, Refine

Time was tight, but the project still went through a full prototyping process.
Full scale prototypes were built at our Somerset headquarters, allowing key elements to be reviewed, assumptions challenged and details refined before rollout.
This approach meant potential issues could be resolved in the workshop, rather than on site, while keeping Nike and Sports Direct closely aligned throughout the process.

A Pivotal Design Decision

Late in the process, the legging wall base was changed from timber to steel.
The change created a slimmer, cleaner profile while delivering a significant improvement in strength and durability, essential for a high traffic retail environment.
It was a substantial decision to make at a late stage, but the benefits to both appearance and longevity made it the right one.

Balancing Staff Usability with Aesthetics

Flexibility was built in from day one.Gym inspired adjustable support bars on the legging wall allow store teams to refresh displays quickly, while hidden fixings keep the overall look clean and streamlined.
The challenge was to create something simple to use without compromising stability or safety, resulting in a fixture that works hard behind the scenes while remaining refined on the shop floor.

The Detail Beneath the Surface

Some of the most complex work sits where shoppers will never see it.
The hidden detailing beneath the base plinths had to accommodate a lot within a very small footprint, while meeting both client and fitter requirements.Resolving those elements cleanly required careful technical development and problem solving, but they are fundamental to how the finished fixture performs.

From Concept to Store Floor

By combining rigorous prototyping with considered design and technical development, the team delivered a Nike Women’s Fitness zone that feels premium, purposeful and built for the realities of retail.
It reflects a wider SmithBrewer approach, refining the details, solving problems early and turning creative intent into something that works in the real world.