British sportswear and fashion retailer Frasers Group has entered a multi-year retail partnership with Accent Group to introduce and manage its Sports Direct brand in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).
The agreement supports Frasers’ broader international expansion strategy and represents its latest move to extend the reach of its retail portfolio into new markets.
Accent, which operates more than 900 stores and 12 brand distributions, intends to establish at least 50 Sports Direct stores along with an online presence by 2031.
The group is optimistic about the potential for opening up to 100 Sports Direct outlets across Australia and New Zealand.
Accent Group CEO Daniel Agostinelli stated: “After extensive discussions, we are very pleased to announce a long-term strategic relationship with Frasers to open Sports Direct in Australia and New Zealand. Sports Direct is one of the leading sporting goods retailing businesses globally. Frasers and Accent see a significant opportunity to bring a new and exciting global sports business to the Australian and New Zealand markets.”
The collaboration will see Frasers, as the primary shareholder of Accent Group, intensify efforts to bolster their sports retail footprint in ANZ.
Accent gains from the alliance by accessing Frasers’ portfolio of proprietary brands such as Everlast and Slazenger.
The partnership will also capitalise on Frasers’ established relationships with internationally recognised sports brands such as Nike and adidas, offering Accent a significant avenue for growth.
Frasers has decided to increase its stake in the company to 19.57%.
The capital raised through the share subscription, totalling £29m ($38m), will be allocated to support the initial phase of establishing the Sports Direct brand in the region.
The deal also includes Accent’s acquisition of Frasers’ MySale platform, which consolidates Frasers’ Australian operations under Accent’s umbrella and expands its online market presence.
Frasers Group CEO Michael Murray stated: “We’re looking forward to expanding our partnership to launch Sports Direct in Australia and New Zealand, working towards our bold plan of opening 100 stores. This re-affirms our commitment to drive growth of the Sports Direct brand internationally and marks a significant step forward in our ambition to becoming the leading global sporting goods retailer.”
In March 2025, Frasers unveiled plans to expand the global footprint of its Sports Direct brand with 350 stores across India and Southeast Asia.
