Member Article

Huddersfield partnership produces industry-first display spectacle for Sports Direct HQ

A striking ultra-illuminated display spanning more than 40m has been installed at Sports Direct’s headquarters in Nottinghamshire.

Designed by shopfitting specialist Replan and produced by the retail graphic display experts from Leach, the industry-first installation has transformed an ordinary stairwell into a stunning nature exhibit.

The idyllic scene – complete with perfect sky and cascading waterfall – has been made possible thanks to a 4m x 11m curved lightbox suspended overhead, with 30 1m² lightboxes staggered to the floor to showcase the vast water feature.

Conceptualised by Replan and manufactured utilising Leach’s new cutting-edge Lightwave technology, the result is a graphic display which looks uncannily like a giant video wall. But instead, dynamic LED has been integrated into the lightboxes to create an eye-catching sense of movement – in this case, flowing water – for only 20% of the cost of the video wall alternative.

“With more than 470 stores across Europe, Sports Direct is one of the most well-known names on the high street. They stock a number of iconic brands within their spaces, but this installation proves that they too are an organisation that loves to stand out,” explained Aaron Eaton, Managing Director from Replan.

“We were therefore bold at the conceptualisation phase as we wanted to create an industry talking point, and I think we’ve done just that.”

With the powerful yet energy-efficient lighting reflecting beautifully off the glazed balustrade of the stairway, visitors to Sports Direct’s HQ and pro shop may forget they are simply in a retail space. But beyond this waterfall landmark is a new-concept, premium-feel flagship environment with dedicated equestrian, rock climbing and golf areas, to name just a few.

“Thanks to Replan’s approach to breaking new boundaries with design, Sports Direct now has a real wow factor installation within their HQ retail environment,” continued Daniel Deakin, Sales Account Manager at Leach. “We’ve combined dynamic, ultra-bright, programmable LEDs with HD quality graphics. This digital hybrid is one of the most exciting uses of lightboxes that we’re seeing in the retail space at present, without any need for a single screen.”

As with all of Leach’s lightboxes – irrespective of size – the display is designed so that the fabric graphics can be interchanged to create an entirely new look and feel, to suit the client’s evolving brand activity. The magnetised LEDs can even be repositioned to produce a completely different visual effect, such as shooting stars or exploding fireworks.

Leach’s new Lightwave product is proving popular across varied sectors including retail, sports, events and exhibitions, plus museums and heritage.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Mallinson .