Sporting goods giant opens its first U.S. store

A new retail experience is giving shoppers — and sports fans — the chance to feel like a professional athlete.



Mizuno, one of the world’s largest specialty sporting goods manufacturers and the official baseball gear partner of the Atlanta Braves, has entered the U.S. retail arena with the opening of The Mizuno Experience Center. It is the first retail store to open at The Battery Atlanta, a 400,000 sq. ft. mixed-use development located just outside the Braves’ new home, Sun Trust Park.



The 3,800-sq.-ft. Experience Center combines a retail store with an array of interactive experiences. The space showcases Mizuno products across multiple sports categories, including baseball, softball volleyball, golf and running, among other sports.



Designed to be an immersive environment, the Experience Center provides a personalized and customized experience. Visitors are engaged through interactive displays using RFID technology and specialized labs for each sport — a move that allows visitors to touch, test and purchase customized gear. Meanwhile, specialized sports labs equipped with simulators, located inside the Experience Center showcase Mizuno's custom-fitting expertise in golf, baseball and softball and running.



"Posed with the task to design a space that focused on the experience first and retail second, forced us to re-think the traditional retail environment to create a unique immersive space for Mizuno. It has delivered beyond all expectations,” said Kevin Kelly, chief marketing officer for integrated retail experience agency Miller Zell.



The center will host a variety of public and private events and professional athlete appearances throughout the year.