Fraser Group’s Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ launch 85,000 sq ft flagship store in Dublin, Ireland
Sportswear chain Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ have today opened a flagship store on Dublin’s Henry Street on the site of a former Debenhams location. Both brands - owned by Frasers Group - are operating across four floors in the 85,000 sq ft building.
"Some moments don’t just mark progress - they redefine what’s possible. Today (25th July) is one of those moments," says Sanjay Dhiman, Chief Development Officer at Frasers Group.
The building was originally a Roches department store in 1960 which underwent redevelopment in 2003 extending to 210,000s sq ft. Debenhams acquired the building in 2006 and traded until 2020, which ended 60 years of continuous retail trading on the site. Frasers Group acquired the site in 2022 and commenced design and planning for the latest iteration of both its Sports Direct and Everlast brands.
"Our elevation journey continues with this high impact, vibrant, modern store design. Anchored by a central atrium which houses a footwear delivery system, backed by a 14 metre tall digital screen housing ten million pixels," says Dhiman. "The 60,000 sq ft store is an expression of the very latest designs from our brand partners/own brands and evolution of our Running, Women’s Fitness, Outdoor, Kids and Bootroom concepts."
"A 25,000 sq ft Everlast connected by a floating, feature staircase adds a state-of-the-art gym with a Hyrox Performance Centre, Cafe, Sauna and Ice Baths. The building has achieved LEED Silver certification, recognising its strong environmental performance and commitment to sustainability."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
