Huge flagship Glasgow sports store to undergo first makeover in 13 years

The planned revamp comes as Glasgow city centre looks to revitalise its retail offering.

Nike is set to “transform” its flagship Glasgow superstore after 13 years on one of the city’s busiest shopping thoroughfares. Contractor and interior fit-out specialist Graham will begin work on the twin-level store over the summer, undertaking a reconfiguration of the two large shop floors. It is expected that the design will follow a new look template for the brand’s outlets.

Carl Hudson, Graham’s interior fit-out project manager said: “The transformation of Nike’s iconic Glasgow store represents a brilliant contract win for us. It is testament to other work we have delivered in the retail sector and our team’s best-in-class approach. Nike is a world-leading brand, and we understand how important the in-store customer experience and journey is.”

Bosses said the latest contract win further strengthened the company’s track record within the competitive retail sector. Most recently, the team marked the completion of a new Sports Direct store in Boucher Retail Park, Belfast. The 40,000-square-foot branch was transformed over a 26-week period and saw the creation of a “modern sports retail destination in a vibrant shopping area”.

The fit-out firm is privately owned and boasts an annual turnover in excess of £1 billion. It operates from a network of 23 regional offices throughout the UK and Ireland and employs more than 2,200 staff.

The revamp of the Nike store comes as Glasgow looks to revitalise its retail offering. The city was recently given a vote of confidence by investors but “challenges persist” amid attempts to rejuvenate swathes of the city centre.

The research showed that an overwhelming 89 per cent of investors expect to see investment opportunities in the city centre market increase over the next 12 months. Property companies are the most bullish, with more than 90 per cent of them forecasting a “year of opportunity”, while investment funds are more cautious at 40 per cent, the study by Lismore Real Estate Advisors revealed.

Stuart Orr, senior development manager at property giant Land Securities, who was interviewed by Lismore for the research, noted that Buchanan Street had effectively zero vacancy and 20 per cent rental growth over the last 18 months.