While the England team have been on tour in South Africa, the England Rugby Store at Twickenham stadium has undergone a complete transformation with a dynamic new retail concept to align with the global appeal of Rugby Union, and sports retail.

Collaborating on their second store concept design project, retail experience agency The Shopper Agency were briefed in January by Fanatics, the global leader in licensed sports merchandise
The brief was to create and design a dynamic and exciting retail environment that was befitting the world’s most iconic Rugby Union venue, whilst appealing to the unique wants and needs of sports fans today. The 82,000-capacity stadium provides huge match day footfall for the store, so great effort was invested at the planning stage to ensure natural customer flow around the store and effective cash desk systems to allow shoppers to have an enjoyable shopping experience. The space needed to be effective and practical, yet deliver a rewarding and memorable shopping experience.

Working closely with both Fanatics and the RFU, including visits to Twickenham, The Shopper Agency gained a thorough understanding of the brand, heritage and current retail proposition. In addition, The Shopper Agency completed a full brand and retail analysis to create a platform for the creative development of the concept. Another major consideration from the brief was the integration of brand partner spaces into store; Canterbury, Gilbert, Adidas and Opro. Retail spaces for each brand were integrated into the store with a considered retail design that gave brand presence and that was aligned with the overall RFU brand look and feel.

The resulting design was a visual celebration of the RFU and England Rugby using light and colour to hero the St George’s cross and the famous white England Jersey. The store has a dramatic circular entrance, that opens into bright and contemporary space. The new store also incorporates the stadium tour base and entrance to the stadium museum creating the perfect centre point for the full stadium experience.

Claire Matthews, Head of Partnerships at Fanatics: “The Shopper Agency have delivered a design concept which completely transforms the England Rugby Store to create a best-in-class environment, fully in-keeping with the overall fan experience at Twickenham Stadium, the home of rugby. Beyond the impactful entrance area, visitors will find the new store layout much more engaging and intuitive, heroing our fantastic England Rugby product range. We’re delighted with the design creativity The Shopper Agency have provided on the project.”

Martin Fawcett, Managing Director at The Shopper Agency: “We are very proud to have been asked to consult on such a high-profile retail space. The England Rugby brand comes packed with heritage and pride, combined with the Fanatics’ team focus on putting the shopper’s experience first enabled us to deliver at our very best”. The refreshed store design has created a shopper experience that sets the tone for any stadium visit, as well as maximising the opportunity for the England Rugby Store to engage their shoppers and increase retail revenue.

Designed by The Shopper Agency
Photography by Stephen Todd