La Sportiva has introduced a new global retail concept designed to unify its expanding product offering and sharpen the brand identity.
Developed in partnership with Midlands-based creative agency Mynt, the new in-store experience has been developed as part of a flexible retail format which will be rolled out across all 30 of La Sportiva’s flagship, specialist and factory stores, and was recently unveiled at the brand’s flagship location in Arco, Italy.
The move reflects a broader shift within the business as La Sportiva has grown beyond its climbing and mountaineering roots into trail running, hiking and apparel. The new retail format brings these categories together under a coherent framework, designed to represent the full range with the brand’s technical authority while re-positioning stores as ‘brand epicentres’ rather than purely transactional spaces.
Creative agency Mynt were appointed to lead on the new retail format after a competitive pitch, selected for their expertise in working with global outdoor brands across the full spectrum of brand communication including brand positioning, retail design and digital content creation.
The concept was aimed at transforming the brand’s retail format into an immersive experience, featuring testing zones, repair hubs and event spaces, creating a format where both core athletes and new audiences can connect.
The space is defined by illuminated structures referencing the Dolomites, contrasted with more tactile, industrial materials drawn from the brand’s manufacturing processes. A central ‘footwear cube’ showcases the technical footwear the brand is well known for, across climbing, mountaineering, hiking and running.
Andrea Ranalletti, Trade Marketing Manager at La Sportiva comments: “We’ve seen significant growth across new categories, and needed a retail format that reflects the full range while staying rooted in our technical expertise and mountain heritage.
“Moving beyond a purely transactional model was key and Mynt helped us in our ambitions to transform our stores from a pure retail space into an immersive experience with spaces for testing, repair and community use, creating more opportunities for our customers to engage with the brand.”
Ollie Patterson, Managing Director at Mynt added: “We knew how important it was to define a clear and flexible system that would work globally, across different retail formats – while remaining consistent and true to the La Sportiva brand.
“We developed a strong design format alongside a modular toolkit that can be scaled and balances the brand’s technical precision with more tactile, natural elements of the outdoors.
“Influences come both from the Dolomites landscape and from the brand’s manufacturing processes, resulting in a space that reflects both performance and craftsmanship – qualities embedded in La Sportiva’s heritage.”
The launch in Arco marks the first phase of a wider global rollout, with the concept set to be implemented across all 30 La Sportiva stores over the next five years as part of a broader retail strategy.
