ANTA recently launched its very first store in South Africa in Melrose Arch. For those who may not know, ANTA is a sportswear apparel brand that was founded in 1994. The brand embodies the values of the sweat, perseverance and triumphs that come with the world of athletics. We had the pleasure of taking an inside look at their new store launch.
Upon walking in we were greeted by a polite young woman working the door. She prompted us for our names and we gladly obliged. She gently attached our wrist bands which granted us access to the store. Inside the store, there was a vibrant mood as Amapiano music set the tone for the night.
Upon walking into the store, you are swept away by the clean aesthetic it presents. To the left of the entrance, there was the athleisure section of the store. There you can find a collection of t-shirts, jackets, sweats and casual sneakers. On the right of the store is where the performance section of the store began.
Propped up on the wall were the Kyrie Irving KAI 1’s in its various colourways. Further along on the performance section of the store, there are the Gordon Hayward signature sneakers with the ‘Go Hard’ slogan on the wall.
Upon first glance, one may think that is all the store has to offer, however, you would surely be wrong. There is a passage that takes one to the backend of the store. There, we were greeted by an even more encapsulating sound system, further cementing the mood for the evening. To the left to us was a mini bar that was serving a variety of drinks for attendees to enjoy. To the right was a spectacular display of Klay Thompson’s signature range, all in an elegant gold and white colourway.
We caught up with Arti, the brand manager of ANTA Middle East and Africa to find out a bit more about the brand.
May we please get your name and the role you play for ANTA?
My name is Arti and I am the brand manager for ANTA Middle East and Africa.
Can you please provide us with a bit of context about the brand?
ANTA is the 3rd largest sportswear brand in the world and the number 1 value sportswear brand in the world. What makes ANTA special is that it combines quality, technology, performance, and design at affordable prices. ANTA is a head-to-toe sportswear brand that has all categories of sports, including running, training, basketball, outdoor and sports lifestyle to name a few.
Who are some of the endorsers that the brand works with?
We have a lot of endorsers who are on board with ANTA. There are NBA players like Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward and Kevon Looney. We have a lot of long-distance runners like Kiptoo Kipchumba and Kenenisa Bekele, so there are a lot of athletes that are winning in ANTA. If you are into the NBA then you will know that Kyrie Irving is doing really well right now. If you are into running you will know that at London Marathon, Hong Kong marathon, Shanghai Marathon, and Berlin Marathon, ANTA is in the podium positions. There is a lot of tech in the product and it is made for you.
Every brand has a core ethos. What is the core ethos of ANTA?
ANTA is about competing against yourself and doing your personal best. The tagline for ANTA is ‘Keep Moving’, you can take a pause but you just have to keep moving. It’s about bringing sport to everyday life and making it accessible to everyone at affordable prices.