“Basketball – the NBA, the American pro league; but also a bit of NCAA, college basketball – is the biggest selling sport in the store. Vintage Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics jerseys are the most in demand, says Ronan Olivier, one of the two managers of La Zone, which opened in November 2019. We also sell Wilson footballs – the one from the NBA – basketball shoes, the socks that go with them and even Pop figurines. »
Ronan Olivier, player at Hasparren, wishes to federate the basketball community of the Basque Country by organizing events.
Nicolas Mollo/ “South West”
The Zone is first and foremost a story of passion: that of US sports. And a meeting: between Ronan and Charles-Anguerran Pouchard-Hirch, the two associates of the boutique. “In fact, we met in the middle of caregivers. Charles was my tutor, says Ronan. Between two treatments in retirement homes, we talked a lot about the NBA! Very quickly, we had the idea of launching ourselves into this very particular business of basketball and US sports. »
A store of enthusiasts
The two men survey the suppliers, key to the success of such a shop, and settle in the Forum area. Mitchell and Ness, specializing in vintage, sold only in independent shops; New Era, the US leader in caps, a very buoyant market; Stance (the socks); Pop figures; Wilson; Spalding, etc. are the brands that can be found exclusively, or almost, at La Zone, located just a stone’s throw from… Intersport, one of the biggest franchise turnovers in Europe.
“We get along very well with them, we send clients. It’s a plus for us to be next to them in fact, because people can come to one or the other, to find different products, notes Ronan Olivier. For example, we don’t sell Nike products, which has the NBA, Michael Jordan and LeBron James franchises (Nike does not open to independents), but with us, the customer will find nuggets. And then what people are also looking for when they come to La Zone, is to meet up with enthusiasts and exchange ideas…”
A view of the store where hundreds of NBA jerseys are offered.
Nicolas Mollo/ “South West”
Stephen Curry’s 60 points; Victor Wembanyama’s performance in Pau the other night; Hasparren’s last match in Regional 3, where Ronan plays: everything is a pretext for discussions, in front of the TV which broadcasts NBA matches. The community of basketball enthusiasts is important at La Zone, with around forty loyal customers. “We created it with word of mouth, social networks; it’s important to move the orange ball in a region where basketball is far from being the No. 1 sport,” agrees Ronan.
The Zone is a partner of Aviron Bayonnais Basket, Hormadi and seeks to organize events, such as 3×3 basketball tournaments or player signings. “You have to animate the shop, which in fact is a real place of life, more than a retail business. It was the initial idea, to come to us to share your passion for US sports and still offer yourself, when you leave, a San Antonio Spurs jersey or a Miami Dolphins cap, ”smiles Ronan Olivier.
(1) La Zone, 14, rue Raoul-Perpère, Le Forum in Bayonne. Such. 09 83 68 33 48.
