Courtside: Where experiential retail meets basketball culture

Some projects are designed. Others are imagined. Courtside Melbourne was envisioned as something entirely different – a bold experiment in what retail could become when community, sport, culture and commerce collide under one roof.

From day one, Courtside was never intended to be a traditional retail store. It was a mad-scientist experiment in a 9,700sqm laboratory of ideas – a place where a six-year-old basketball fan could share the same environment as an NBL or NBA athlete, where sport and retail become inseparable, and where every visit feels like an experience rather than a transaction.

Founded by Chris Fifer, Chris Moore and Anthony Hoffman, the concept spent five years in development before being brought to life in just over six months. What emerged is one of Australia’s most ambitious experiential retail destinations and a powerful example of where the future of retail is heading.

At its heart sits over 2,500sqm of premium retail, bringing together Jordan, Nike, New Balance, Adidas and more than a dozen leading brands in a way rarely seen anywhere in the world. But Courtside was never about simply selling products. It was about creating an environment where brands could tell stories, build emotional connections and become part of a customer’s journey.

The experience begins the moment visitors enter. A full-size arena court with seating for 150 spectators forms the centrepiece of the destination. Surrounding it are two additional training courts, half courts, a fully equipped gym, sauna and recovery facilities, player change rooms, a 35-seat auditorium, and Hoop City –Melbourne’s premier basketball development program that now trains more than 1,200 young athletes every week.

Even the hospitality offering tells a story. Peaches Café & Bar draws inspiration from basketball’s origins, paying tribute to Dr. James Naismith’s first peach basket that became the original basketball hoop. It’s a subtle but powerful reminder that every great movement starts with a simple idea. This commitment to storytelling is what makes Courtside unique.

ACRD spent more than twelve months designing the customer journey, carefully crafting the strategic flow of every space while preserving the building’s authentic warehouse character. The challenge was not simply creating a retail environment– it was designing an immersive ecosystem where sport, community, entertainment, wellness and retail naturally coexist.

Every detail was considered. Every touchpoint was designed to engage. Every brand was given an opportunity to tell its story in a way that traditional retail environments simply cannot achieve.

The result is a destination that has captured the attention of global brands and industry leaders. Senior executives from Nike and Jordan have praised the concept, recognising it as a benchmark for the future of experiential retail. Visitors regularly describe the space as feeling like it belongs in another country – or even another world.

Only eight months after opening, Courtside is already evolving into far more than a retail destination. International basketball teams have begun using the facility, including the New Orleans Pelicans, who recently secured the entire venue for a five-day training camp. Major brands and corporations including BMW are increasingly choosing Courtside as a venue for events, activations and experiences, drawn by its unique ability to bring people together through sport and culture.

Behind the scenes, the journey was anything but simple. Delivered in partnership with Goodman and brought to life by JXB Projects, the project demanded innovative thinking at every stage – from fire engineering challenges to designing specialised heating and cooling systems capable of servicing the vast facility. The challenges were significant, but they ultimately helped shape a destination unlike anything else in the market.

For ACRD, Courtside represents more than a successful project. It demonstrates a fundamental shift in retail thinking.

Consumers no longer seek products alone – they seek connection, community and memorable experiences. Courtside proves that when brands become part of a lifestyle ecosystem, retail transforms from a place people visit into a destination they belong to.

Today, Courtside stands as a basketball mecca. A place where elite athletes train alongside future stars. Where brands come to life through authentic storytelling. Where community, wellness, hospitality and retail exist in perfect balance. And this is only the beginning.

As Courtside continues to grow, its potential extends far beyond Melbourne. The model has attracted international attention and presents a compelling blueprint for global expansion – a new category of experiential retail destination where sport, culture and commerce intersect.

For ACRD, Courtside is a defining example of what happens when design moves beyond spaces and begins creating experiences.

The future of retail isn’t about selling products. It’s about creating places people never want to leave. And at Courtside Melbourne, that future has already arrived.