Glimpses of the new-look Nike outlet on Shakespeare Sarani. Pictures by Aranya Sen

Sharapova skirts and Federer tees, Henry off-pitch apparel and Ronaldinho workout gear. Whatever your sport and whoever your star, you can Just Do It at the born-again international-format Nike outlet at 17, Shakespeare Sarani.

With another level set to be added to the existing floorplate by September, when the global major launches its much-awaited cricket kits, this will become ?eastern India?s largest Nike showroom? with nearly 3,000 sq ft of rack razzmatazz, says franchisee Kamal Jain.

Premium brands are now pulling out all the stops to make their presence felt in the city. After Benetton did it at Forum, the US sportswear giant, having now fixed Calcutta firmly on its radar, has imparted a true-blue international look and feel to the Shakespeare Sarani store.

Extremely contemporary fixtures and display patterns, a special illumination system, category-wise zoning for ease of browsing, and, of course, the stunning new alucobond signage ? the trademark Nike ?swoosh? in glowing orange ? combine to create a destination in sync with the latest retail trends.

The new-look outlet has been laid out to house soccer, tennis, women?s stuff, accessories, training and sports culture merchandise. ?Tennis is big with Sharapova, Federer, Nadal, Pierce and Davenport attire all big draws,? says Jain, who also runs Nike, Adidas and Reebok outlets at City Centre.

Apart from skirts, T-shirts, shorts and shoes, headbands, wristbands and caps are also extremely popular with youngsters. Soccer is another huge draw, with sale of Man-U merchandise, perennial favourites in Calcutta, now being matched by the increasing popularity of Arsenal and Juventus gear.

?Of course, Brazil and Ronaldinho still have the strongest recall among most of the walk-ins, and Rooney shirts continue to move well, even as we have started to get enquiries about Henry, Fabregas and Vieira jerseys,? confirms Jain.

Once Nike launches its cricket range in September, the store will devote the entire first floor to flannels and the female, with the ladies? range being shifted upstairs. From workout tops to tracks, running shoes to headbands, the brand has been laying special emphasis on the women?s spread of late.

?Sports culture? is another category to have caught the fancy of Calcuttans young and young-at-heart. ?It?s essentially casual wear with a sporty look that has become extremely trendy here and Nike has been adding new elements to this range regularly,? Jain adds.

In keeping with global trends, the Shakespeare Sarani Nike outlet also stocks accessories like kneecaps and slips, thigh slips, workout waist-belts, trendy water bottles for tennis and gym support stuff. The Air Jordan range of shoes and basketball outfits are also popular, more so with the city?s Chinese community.

The next big thing will be the introduction of cricket gear and Nike will hit the racks with the entire paraphernalia for the aspiring Dravids and Yuvrajs, Sehwags and Dhonis. ?The marketing of the stars is real-time now and the brand is completely clued into the latest ups and downs in international sports, reflected in the in-store merchandising and signage,? stresses Jain.

So, if it?s a larger-than-life Henry adorning the fa?ade in his illustrious No. 14 Arsenal shirt now, it could well be Brazilian stars in their yellow and green tomorrow, with the World Cup just round the bend. Big-brand magic, in all its attendant splendour, is here to stay on the city?s retail racks.