Reebok opens its first Rbk store in UK at London's Covent Garden

The UK's first Rbk store opened in Covent Garden's Neal Street last week, aiming to provide a haven for 'sneaker pimps in an upbeat atmosphere'.

According to brand owner Reebok, the 440 sq ft (40 sq m) store design takes its lead from Rbk outlets in the US and Japan, and is intended to illustrate the fusion of sport and music.

Product is displayed in an environment that includes concrete, exposed brickwork and brushed steel.

The whispering windows technology deployed by M&S last year will feature in the store, allowing passers-by to hear music from within.

The outlet will also use a hypersonic sound system, enabling music to be directed into a specific area to enhance merchandise displays, referred to by Reebok as 'aural merchandising'. Store design was the work of the company's in-house team.

Reebok's trial is the latest in a number of sports retailers opening stores in Covent Garden. Last month, Adidas opened its first UK Adidas Originals store in Earlham Street.

Covering 2,150 sq ft (200 sq m) and trading from two floors, the store, designed by EOOB in Vienna, has a minimalist look and makes extensive use of basic runner-rails as a centre-floor merchandising device. On the store's exterior a 'trefoil', the Adidas logo, provides a visual marker for shoppers.

Adidas is also due to open a gallery space, outlining the brand's history, at a separate site in London this year.

A flagship is scheduled to open on Oxford Street in the autumn.