Arab News Japan

Japan’s sports shoe maker ASICS Corp opened its first store in Saudi Arabia on Friday, showcasing the brands commitment to expanding in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Located in Riyadh Park Mall, the first ASICS retail concept in KSA features 165 square meters of space and offers a wide variety of performance footwear and apparel across different sports including running, tennis, padel and indoor sports. It also features ASICS Sportstyle, its athleisure brand, recently recognised as Brand of the Year 2022 by Hypebeast, the lifestyle and fashion platform.

The store features a wide collection of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, while also offering offering the ASICS’ Run Analyzer™, which is a free gait analysis and foot mapping technology that provides customers with product advice, diagnostic services and pronation analysis to help them find the running shoe that is most suitable for their personal running style.

Commenting on the opening, Seiji Hori, General Manager, ASICS Arabia said: “We are delighted to launch the first ASICS store in KSA. This marks a new stage of growth for us in KSA and signifies our commitment to enhancing the local communities through sports. We have a very ambitious growth plan for the region and are looking forward to opening even more stores in the Kingdom together with our partners, Apparel Group.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with ASICS in this significant venture to expand their presence in KSA. Our partnership embodies a shared vision of promoting sports and well-being within the community, while also contributing to the Kingdom’s growing sports ecosystem. With ASICS’ innovative products and Apparel Group’s retail expertise, we are confident that we will deliver exceptional experiences for our customers and play an instrumental role in fostering a healthier, more active nation,” stated Neeraj Teckchandani, CEO of Apparel Group.

The opening was attended by the Japanese ambassador to Saudi Arabia Iwai Fumio, who expressed his excitement about the brand’s expansion on Twitter by saying, “High quality Japanese shoes arrived in Saudi Arabia. We are happy to open our first ASICS sports shoe store in Riyadh Park yesterday.”

أحذية يابانية عالية الجودة وصلت إلى المملكة العربية السعودية. نحن سعداء بافتتاح أول محل خاص بأحذية ASICS الرياضية في مجمع الرياض بارك يوم أمس. pic.twitter.com/i1foeGm842

— Iwai Fumio🇯🇵 (@FumioIwai) March 17, 2023

Founded in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka, the company name is an acronym of the Latin phrase “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” which translates to “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body,” representing ASICS’ belief in the power of sport to positively impact both, the body and the mind and help uplift communities, according to a statement published on its website.

In parallel with its retail network growth, ASICS will also be expanding the ASICS KSA FrontRunner team – a unique ambassadorship program that selects inspiring individuals to help promote its philosophy and will be rolling out a unique calendar of marketing initiatives, created exclusively for KSA.

ASICS will also continue to collaborate with the with the Sports For All Federation (SFA) in the creation of community led sports activations and events.

Just recently, ASICS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SFA to bolster the Kingdom’s sports infrastructure and aid its transformation into a leading sports hub.

Commenting on the MOU, SFA Managing Director Shaima Saleh AlHusseini, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with ASICS to build on our work and enhance our sporting provisions. ASICS’s philosophy is very much in sync with ours, enabling us to forge a truly productive collaboration that will create a healthier, fitter and more active Saudi Arabia. Together, we will empower more people to lead better, happier lives.”

The launch of ASICS’ stores in the GCC signifies the brand’s aim to expand its network around the world, with a particular focus on the Middle East.