Toby’s Sports, the leading sports retailer in the Philippines, has opened a new, innovative flagship store that highlights its long-standing commitment to elevating its retail experience to world-class standards.
Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Toby’s Sports flagship store at Bonifacio Global City.
Toby’s Sports held a special preview party of the new flagship store situated in the heart of the bustling Bonifacio Global City (BGC) last Nov. 28. The event, called “Pinnacle of Sports,” gathered celebrities, athletes, sports enthusiasts, and members of the media who had a first look at the new flagship store. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was spearheaded by Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano and Toby’s Sports officials.
Among those who attended the star-studded launch were Christine Jacob-Sandejas, Miss International Kylie Verzosa, Adidas country manager Adrien Semblat, actors Bubbles Paraiso, Bobby Yan, and Tessa Prieto-Valdes, and athletes from the PBA, UAAP, and NCAA.
The 1,000sqm, two-story space houses a premium assortment of footwear, sports apparel and equipment from the world’s best brands. According to Toby Claudio, President of Toby’s Sports, “we wanted to create an iconic store, a pinnacle shopping experience in the heart of Metro Manila.” To achieve that, the store utilizes cutting-edge technology, such as stunning LED displays towering over 5th avenue and multiple interactive touch screens that uses RFID technology to show information on its latest products. It also features various zones that create an experiential shopping experience:
- The flagship store features an interactive PLAYZone to host events and sports clinics on a regular basis. It also doubles as a basketball court, which utilizes a professional-grade basketball shooting machine, where people can hone their shooting skills. Prizes will be given out regularly to top scorers in the Toby’s Shooout game.
- As its names suggests, the LAUNCHZone will host product launches that feature the latest innovations from the top sports brands. Toby’s Sports also plans to use this area for curated installations, special VIP events and athlete appearances.
- Toby’s Custom Lab. The Toby’s Custom Lab, located on the 2nd level, offers apparel customization services. With the capability to create full custom uniforms and jerseys, it will include express customization via sublimation, making a more personalized customer experience.
- Run Signature Analysis. The flagship store offers Run Signature gait and running form analysis, from Brooks. It is a radical new approach to gait analysis that takes an in-depth look at the body’s natural running characteristics so that the store personnel can offer the ideal shoes to every customer.
Latest Retail Technologies
The Toby’s Flagship is one of the first stores in the country to feature a highly digital experience where customers can browse the retailer’s e-commerce website, tobys.com, on large interactive walls in the store. Toby’s Sports also uses RFID technology that allows customers to unlock virtual content by placing a shoe on their Shoe Showcase platforms and browse all its specs and features via touchscreen.
“We harnessed the latest technology to bring our store experience to the next level. We wanted to create more than just a store, but a space that tells stories about the latest sports innovations and inspire people to play”, Claudio said.
World-class Interiors
Toby’s Sports commissioned the tandem of world-renowned German architectural firm Blocher + Blocher and Philippine-based Sonia Olivares & Associates (SSOa) to bring to life the retailer’s vision for its first flagship store.
The interior design combines architectural details inspired by Manila’s raw aesthetics with larger-than-life graphics and pops of color that represent the vibrant nature of sports.
The concrete walls and metal fixtures create a modern-urban aesthetic, allowing the products displayed to take center stage. The central staircase, which features a massive lighted wall, serve as the centerpiece of store. Neon lights, inspired by the city’s bright lights, were also used to call
out the different product categories and zones of the store.
Going Omnichannel
Toby’s Sports also saw the flagship store as the perfect opportunity to marry its offline and online initiatives to truly provide an immersive omnichannel experience. The store offers a Click & Collect service that allows its online consumers to pick-up their orders in the store within hours. Toby’s Sports also plans to fully equip its products with QR codes that will lead customers to a particular product’s page in its online store. Soon, Toby’s Sports will introduce an automated locker area, where online customers can pick-up their orders 24/7, even when the store is closed, using a generated passcode that will be sent directly to the customer’s mobile phone.
“Although our physical stores have been our bread and butter for the past 40 years, we have seen incredible growth in our online business since we re-launched tobys.com in late 2016. Now, we want to make shopping even more convenient to our customers by offering a seamless online-to-offline shopping experience,” Claudio said.
Embracing Growth in its 40th Year
The opening of the Toby’s Sports flagship store also signals the company’s commitment to further solidifying its place as the sports retailer of choice for Filipinos. Apart from its focus on elevating the experience of its current pool of customers, Toby’s Sports also aims to expand its footprint, opening more stores not just in the Metro, but also in various provinces across the country.
“The new Toby’s Sports flagship store is a statement we wanted to make, that even after 40 years in the business, we are still looking for ways to improve. It has allowed s us to provide new and exciting experiences and best-level products for our customers. My hope is that the flagship can become an epicenter for sports and sneaker culture in the Philippines,” Claudio concluded.
Toby’s Sports now has 55 stores nationwide, with more stores in the pipeline in the coming years.
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