Sports Paragon brand manager, Victor Tiew tells us how the flagship store with a new retail concept at Tropicana Gardens Mall is staying ahead of the game

The sporting goods industry as a whole is worth billions of dollars and is not going anywhere anytime soon since staying active and healthy has evolved into a lifestyle choice in its own right.

This means that there is continuous demand for sporting goods. However, even though consumers have a lot of options when it comes to purchasing sports gear, doing so might be a hassle if they have to go to several stores. Enter Sports Paragon, a multi-brand sporting goods retailer.

“Sports Paragon is our new retail concept, which combines multiple brands in a single retail outlet. The fact that we focus on several different sports and carry selected specialised brands sets us apart from other types of multi-brand sporting goods retailers,” explains Victor Tiew, who is one of the directors of Paragon Vest Sdn Bhd, the parent company of Sports Paragon. 

Most multi-brand sporting goods stores, he notes, provide brand options by sport category, so if a customer wants to buy anything for running, he will find numerous brands that cater to it.

“At Sports Paragon, however, the running section is everything Brooks (an American fitness apparel company best known for producing high quality, reliable running shoes), while the football section is Kronos (the preferred brand for football players). Having said that, we supply the complete selection of items for running, football, and so on.”

Although Paragon Vest was established in 1993, it didn’t enter the retail sector until about eight years ago. The company currently has 18 mono-brand stores as well as its latest concept store, Sports Paragon, which opened in 2021.

“We were (and continue to be) involved in distributing, branding and supplying to sports stores such as Sports Direct and Al-Ikhsan. We also hold distribution rights for the brands that we carry under Paragon Vest in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei. We are continuing to operate as before, with the exception that we are diversifying and expanding into various product assortments to reach different target audiences,” explains Victor.

At present, Sports Paragon is home to a total of seven brands, each of which focuses on products for a particular sport or activity, including basketball, cycling, football, triathlon, running, leisure, and fitness (such as yoga, etc).

“Brooks, Kronos, Atlanta, Peak, PRIME, Zoot and Pressio are the sports and lifestyle brands we have in-store. And, the fact that every brand addresses a different purpose makes it simple and uncomplicated for consumers to track for the products that match their requirements,” says Victor, who is also Sports Paragon’s brand manager.

He adds that the company plans to launch three to four more “small brands” in the near future that are focused on the accessories for sports, such as nutritional products like energy bars and drink mixes that are either used for after sports recovery or for enhancement of athletic performance. This also includes shoe insoles, anti-chaffing balm and other similar products.

Since Brooks is dedicated to offering superior products, from apparel to footwear, to the fast-growing running community, it is no surprise that it is one of the most popular brands at Sports Paragon.

This is followed closely by Kronos, which specialises in football merchandise. Peak, which offers basketball-related things, and Zoot, which provides triathlon and cycling-related items, are also in high demand.

“Nowadays, one person does not concentrate solely on one sport. They participate in a variety of sports. For example, in the triathlon community, people generally cycle once a week, run every day and swim a few times a week. They also work out at the gym for at least an hour every day. Most football players also run and work out at the gym on a daily basis.”

Sports Paragon, which is located at Tropicana Gardens Mall in Kota Damansara is the first flagship store with an impressive floor space of approximately 7,000 square feet. 

“We decided to open our first Sports Paragon flagship shop at Tropicana Gardens Mall due to the mall’s strategic location. It is also a family-oriented neighbourhood mall that has yet to be tapped by any other similar store. The support that we receive from the mall’s management team in terms of advertising and promotion space, as well as partnership collaboration, has not only made us very happy but also left us highly impressed. Their support is swift and efficient always. In addition to that, the mall is amazing in terms of concept, design and layout.”