" This brand also sells accessories (bags, gloves, belts, etc.). Prices are below average, quality ranges from mediocre to good. Both natural (wool, cotton, etc.) and synthetic (polyester, acrylic, etc.) materials are used. Clothing is produced in China, India, and some other Asian countries. Quite a wide range; a huge number of stores in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
Story
The Spormaster group of companies was founded in 1996. Initially, Sportmaster was engaged in the supply and sales of sportswear and exercise equipment, but in the early 2000s it was decided to enter the actively developing casual clothing market. The O’stin brand was invented, and clothes under it were launched for sale in 2003. A chain of O’stin retail stores was created for the sale; You won’t find clothing under the O’stin brand in the Sportmaster stores themselves. The first stores opened in Moscow and Yekaterinburg.
You could say that O’stin is a werewolf brand, but a rather harmless one. No legend about American or English quality was spread, although the origin of the brand, frankly, was not advertised (and even now it is not advertised). The name in Latin was chosen because Russian buyers trust foreign brands more than some “Skorokhod” or “Red Stars”.
The O’stin brand quickly gained popularity among Russian buyers due to its good price-quality ratio and competent marketing; Over time, stores opened in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. In 2012, a clothing line was launched for the youngest children - from 0 to 5 years old. Currently, there are more than 300 O’stin stores in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. O’stin is one of the most popular clothing brands among Russians.
Range
The stores sell casual clothing for men, women and children. The assortment is quite wide, but the clothes, I would say, are somewhat monotonous. Most things are plain, checkered or striped. There are practically no fantasy ones, and accordingly, there is no particular originality. You can’t call O’stin designer clothes, although you can find something nice to look at there. There are no classic or formal clothes here.
There are both clothes made from natural materials (for example, jumpers, jeans, shirts, blouses, T-shirts and trousers made from 100% cotton) and from a mixture of natural and artificial materials (for example, jumpers made from a mixture of wool and polyester, wool and acrylic). The materials are mostly decent - for this price segment, of course; They are nothing special in terms of quality. Things, as a rule, are quite durable and wear-resistant (however, there are exceptions).
Clothes from O’stin are quite discreet, suitable for both young people and middle-aged and older people. I would call it universal, it’s really just everyday: you can’t wear clothes from O’stin to a special event or a business meeting. The quality is mostly decent for the price, but overall still mediocre. Sewing is not always neat.
Personal impressions. Reviews
In my opinion, clothes from O’stin have a good price-quality ratio. It is durable and retains its appearance even after many washes. O’stin shirts are not bad (they last two or three years) - considering that a shirt can be bought on sale for 600-700 rubles, this is very good. T-shirts, in my opinion, are less durable. In general, there is some “lottery” in terms of quality.
Reviews on the Internet are quite contradictory. Perhaps the majority are positive: many emphasize low prices, good quality and durability. Those who speak negatively point to the simplicity, monotony and boringness of O’stin clothing, as well as its excessive prevalence (yes, with its help you will not be able to stand out from the crowd - this is obvious). Some are unhappy with the quality; in particular, I encountered complaints about T-shirts, skirts and dresses. In addition, there are complaints about the quality of tailoring, evenness of seams, etc. Some say that the quality has deteriorated in recent years and is no longer the same. Perhaps this is true.
Brief summary:
- Clothing styles : casual (mostly sporty and formal casual).
- Range : jeans, casual trousers, shirts, polos, T-shirts, jackets (including down jackets), coats, socks, underwear, bags, belts, gloves, scarves and shawls.
- Clothfor men, women and children .
- Dimensions : women's - from XS to XXL (jeans - from 26 to 30), men's - from S to XL (jeans/trousers - from 28 to 38).
- Materials : natural - cotton, down, wool; artificial - polyester, acrylic, nylon, elastane.
- Price category : below average.
- bonus program : a bonus card is issued for purchases over 500 rubles; for every 500 rubles spent, a bonus of 25-50 rubles is awarded; subsequently, the accumulated bonuses can be used to pay up to 30% of the purchase price at the rate of 1 bonus = 1 ruble; Bonuses are not awarded for purchases during sales.
Approximate prices for women's clothing (as of November 2012) :
- Blouses - 1000-1800 rubles (on sales from 500 rubles)
- T-shirts, tops - 200-1000 rubles
- Trousers - 1200-2500 rubles
- Jeans - 1400-2000 rubles
- Leggings - 500-800 rubles
- Jackets - 2000-6000 rubles
- Coat - 4000-6000 rubles
- Jackets - 900-2500 rubles
- Jumpers, cardigans - 700-2000 rubles
- Bags - 1000-2500 rubles
- Belts - 350-600 rubles
- Gloves - 400-600 rubles
- Scarves - 500-900 rubles
- Socks - 120-140 rubles per pair
Approximate prices for men's clothing (as of November 2012) :
Jane Austen is a famous writer of classical literature, familiar to readers from her works in the genre of realism. Her novels are still popular among young people and adults, and famous directors bring Jane’s works to television screens.
On December 16, 1775, in the small town of Stevenson, in the county of Hampshire, located in the south of Great Britain, a daughter, Jane, was born into the Austin family. Since the winter was harsh, the girl was baptized in the church only on April 5. We can say that the parents of the future writer predetermined her fate, because the name Jane means “God is merciful,” “God’s grace.”
The Austin family lived modestly, the head of the family was a parish priest, and his wife kept house. The couple met at St. John's College. Cassandra came from a noble noble family, her father was the rector of All Souls College. Mrs. Lee's dowry was quite modest, because the entire inheritance from her grandmother was received by her older brother James. George also came from a wealthy family of merchants, but his family became poor.
During the Age of Enlightenment, medicine was not developed, and at that time there was a high infant mortality rate: diseases such as mumps, cholera, tuberculosis and many others progressed. But all the children of George Austin and his beloved miraculously survived.
Thus, the writer grew up in a large family, in which, in addition to her, six boys and one girl were raised. Jane was the second to last child and was born ten months pregnant. Initially, newborns stayed at home under the care of their mother. Then the woman gave them to the care of her neighbor Elizabeth Littlewood, who raised the children until they were 12-18 months old.
Since childhood, the elder James realized his creative potential and studied literature: he wrote fictional stories. But fate prepared a different path for the young man: as he grew older, James began serving as a pastor in a local church. History is silent about the other brother, George, because... The Austins preferred not to talk about him. It is known that the boy was retarded and never learned to speak. But the writer loved George, so for his sake she learned the alphabet of the deaf and dumb.
Edward was adopted by relatives of the Austins, the boy was brought up in the wealthy Knight family, and Henry, an ambitious man, worked as a banker and then was ordained. Francis and Charles connected their lives with the sea, and sister Cassandra, who painted in watercolors, never found happiness in her personal life. Jane and Cassandra were enrolled in many educational institutions, but the girls had no luck with headmistresses. Among other things, on one of her trips to Southampton, Jane contracted fatal typhus, and the Austin family never had any money for education.
George quickly realized that his daughters would not receive a decent education in this way, so he personally acted as a teacher, taking all responsibilities upon himself. Thus, the future writer and her sister learned more from the lectures of their erudite and well-read father than at school. The man emphasized literature, so girls from an early age fell in love with the work of Hume, Richardson and other writers. After reading, they recited the works to each other from memory, discussed the novels, debated and expressed opinions.
Literature
In 1816, Jane became the author of the domestic novel Persuasion (published posthumously), the plot of which revolves around the life of the smug and vain Sir Walter, who found himself on the verge of bankruptcy due to his own stupidity. Of all the abundance of characters in this work, Walter's 27-year-old daughter Anne Elliot can be singled out, because this lonely girl is an atypical book hero for Jane Austen.
Despite her youth, Anne appears before readers in the image of a wise and sophisticated woman, who is called an old maid in society. Anne fell in love with a young man, but, guided by reason, rejected him for the sake of further well-being.
If we talk about Jane Austen’s writing style, then, of course, she is a sophisticated psychologist who understands both the souls of people and everyday problems, as can be judged from her works. Moreover, Jane was accustomed to seasoning her manuscripts with a dose of irony and sarcasm. Although the Enlightenment and Victorian eras have passed hundreds of years ago, such human vices as hypocrisy, greed, pride, lust, laziness, etc. have not sunk into oblivion.
All this happened even in the times of luxurious balls and literary salons. For example, one can recall how Mrs. Bennet's hatred of Darcy is instantly transformed into enthusiastic feelings after the news that the young man is going to propose marriage to her daughter (“Pride and Prejudice”). Thus, Jane shattered to smithereens the stereotypes that had formed among readers of sentimental novels.
Personal life
The personal life of the English novelist is filled with secrets and mysteries. For example, biographers to this day do not know the true appearance of the Lady. Some sources claim that she was a lovely young lady, others describe her as a plump simpleton who was teased by her brothers as a child by pulling her cheeks. There are also different opinions about the girl’s character: either she appears as a prim and obstinate girl, or, on the contrary, as a sensitive and charming lady with a soft voice and kind character. Jane's appearance can be judged by the portrait that Cassandra painted in 1810.
The novelist gave the world elegant love stories, but she herself never found happiness. Her life turned upside down in 1796. Thomas Langlois Lefroy, an educated young man of Huguenot descent, came to visit his relatives, who, ironically, lived not far from the Austins. Thomas captivated the writer’s heart, a fleeting passion resulted in a short romance, which quickly began and faded away. According to family legend, the relationship of the young people reached a dead end due to the dissatisfaction of Aunt Lefroy. Later, contemporaries said that these events found echoes in Persuasion, but Thomas used to say that he loved Jane with a “childish love” - the relationship meant nothing to him.
But Austen was not guided by reason, but turned into a sentimental girl who spent days and nights remembering her unrequited love, because, as Eugene Onegin used to say, “the less we love a woman, the easier it is for her to like us.” While the novelist was suffering, Thomas easily adjusted his personal life: he became the Chief Justice of Ireland and married a wealthy person, Mary, who gave her husband eight children.
But for the young man Harris Bigg it was completely the opposite: the guy loved Jane. The girl agreed to the marriage proposal, but was a bride for only one day: the medicine of time did not help Austen, she did not forget Thomas, so the lady exchanged the future for an illusory past. The girl never managed to feel like a loving wife and experience the beauty of motherhood, because the novelist had no children. In her free time from literature, Jane sewed and helped her mother around the house.
Death
Jane Austen suffered from Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency). Judging by the clinical description, this disease can last for several years without symptoms and go unnoticed, but it progresses due to stressful situations or other diseases. The patient's appetite is impaired, nausea, weight loss, tetany, etc. appear.
The writer passed away in the summer of 1817 at the age of 42. She arrived in Winchester for treatment, but the girl was unable to cope with the disease. Jane did not have time to complete Sanditon, The Watsons and Lady Susan. The novel Northanger Abbey was published posthumously.
Movies
It is not surprising that Austen’s meaningful works have been filmed more than once.
We took part in the melodrama “Pride and Prejudice”. Emma Thompson once again acted as screenwriter and chose to change the dialogue from the original handwritten script. 
Anne Hathaway in the movie "Jay Austin", 2006
- In 2006, Julian Jarrold's biographical film Jane Austen was released, telling the story of the relationship between the writer and Lefroy. He played the role of a novelist, and reincarnated as her lover.
- In 2008, director Dan Zeff presented the mini-series “Jane Austen's Book Comes to Life” starring Jemima Rooper and Elliot Cowan.
- The same year, Jeremy Lovering's film Jane Austen's Misfortunes in Love was released.
Bibliography
- "Love and Friendship" (1790);
- "History of England" (1791);
- "Three Sisters" (1792);
- "Sense and Sensibility" or "Reason and Sensibility" (1811);
- "Pride and Prejudice" (1813);
- "Mansfield Park" (1814);
- "Emma" (1815);
- "Persuasion" (1817);
- "Northanger Abbey" (1818).
- "Beautiful Cassandra";
- "Lady Susan"
- "The Watsons";
- "Sanditon";
- "Castle Leslie"
Among the most famous Russian retailers in the clothing segment is the O"Stin company. This brand is present in Moscow, St. Petersburg, many other Russian cities, as well as abroad. The Austin company positions itself as a discounter - a supplier of economy class goods. What are the most notable facts about this corporation?What do employees and customers of this retail chain say?
General information about the brand
Before examining opinions about the Austin brand, employee and customer reviews about it, let’s study the basic information about the corresponding corporation.
This company is a supplier of a wide range of clothing, as well as accessories for customers of various categories. Now the Austin clothing store chain operates in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, and Ukraine. The brand in question belongs to the Sportmaster holding, another well-known Russian brand in the clothing market. Austin Corporation has been developing since 2003. It is positioned as a discounter - a supplier of clothing at low prices.
The first store of the chain in question was opened in Yekaterinburg. Austin store products are most often represented by the following main categories of clothing:
Everyday;
Denim;
Youth;
Premium class;
Children's;
Upper.
Clothing accessories also fall into a separate category of goods. Another criterion for classifying products under the Austin brand is the division of the corresponding products into 3 groups - Collection, Core, and Basic. Clothes sold in the stores of the chain in question are mainly produced in Asia.
Sales formats
The Austin clothing store chain operates in two main formats - Supermarket and Discount. Both types of sales points require the use of a retail space of about 500 sq. m. meters. The main difference between the “Discount” format is that in stores of the corresponding type, goods of the current as well as previous seasons are sold, as a rule, with a significant discount - about 70%.
Main markets
Moscow is the main market for the Austin brand (the addresses of stores of the corresponding retail chain are present in various areas of the Russian capital). In total, there are about 57 stores in Moscow owned by the corporation. The corporation's share of the Moscow region market is also significant. A large number of Austin stores operate in St. Petersburg.
The Ukrainian market plays a significant role in the business of this corporation - there are about 21 stores in the neighboring country. In Kazakhstan it is several times less.
Prospects for the development of the Austin network
It is expected that the Austin store will actively expand in various retail formats in Russian regions. The priority will be to place sales points in shopping centers with an area of about 15-20 thousand square meters. meters. A sales organization model is considered very promising, in which both of the largest brands of the Sportmaster corporation - the corresponding network of sportswear stores, as well as Austin retail outlets - will be located nearby. A similar sales format in Sportmaster and Austin (feedback from employees and customers may indicate this) is characterized as quite effective.
Having studied the basic information about the corporation, we will study what employees and customers say about it.
Working in Austin stores: employee reviews
How do sellers rate their experience at Austin? Reviews from employees about their work activities in stores that are part of this chain are presented in quite a large number on thematic online portals. This is not surprising, given the prevalence and popularity of the brand in question. Feedback from sellers about how their work at Austin turned out can be divided into the following several varieties:
Opinions about salary;
Awards;
Assessment of career prospects;
Opinions about in stores.
Let's study them in more detail.
Reviews of Austin stores: salary
Salaries in many retail chains, including the Austin store, consist of salary and bonuses. Depending on the specific position of a person working in a company, his earnings depend primarily on the first or second source.
Those specialists whose salary depends mainly on salary evaluate their work based on its value proposed in the contract. Overall, it is assessed by Austin employees as being in line with the average for the clothing brand market. In this sense, the corporation in question offers quite competitive conditions.
If we are talking about positions that depend primarily on bonuses, then, of course, reviews can be more varied: firstly, in terms of assessing the prospects for receiving a large bonus, and secondly, in terms of its potential value. According to sellers, the O"Stin store offers employees good conditions in both aspects of earnings. With good work, it is quite possible to achieve a bonus, and a decent one at that.
Reviews of Austin stores: career prospects
Let's now examine how salespeople assess career prospects at Austin. Employee reviews in this case depend on the actual position they occupy. Entry-level salespeople obviously have high expectations for career advancement. Employees planning to work in their position for a relatively short period of time - a few months - often count on a promotion, which can be expressed, for example, in an appointment to a management position.
The policy of the Austin brand - reviews of the corporation's employees can confirm this - in terms of building a strategy for promoting employees along the career ladder, is generally similar to that which characterizes the activities of many other companies in the retail clothing market. If a person has the necessary personal qualities to be a leader, and in the course of work he quickly gains experience in terms of knowledge of clothing, the corporate structure of the company, the specifics of interaction of a particular store with suppliers and partners, then he has a good chance of growing.
In this sense, working at Austin is not very different from working at other corporations that operate in the retail industry. Any business needs competent specialists, and if they can be raised within the company, without turning to recruitment agencies, without trying to attract employees with good experience and qualifications from competing companies, then the corporation, of course, will prefer to use the appropriate resource.
Apparently, this approach is actively practiced in the Austin brand development strategy. On the Internet there are remarkable success stories of employees of this corporation who were able to make a career from a sales position to a manager in a responsible position.
Reviews about working at Austin: working conditions
The next noteworthy aspect of the study of the corresponding brand in the retail market is the working conditions in Austin. Employee reviews in this case can be classified:
Those that evaluate the work schedule in the company;
On opinions about the infrastructural conditions for carrying out labor activities;
Those that assess the level of comfort at work from the point of view of building relationships with colleagues and managers.
Regarding the work schedule at Austin: it is obvious that it is drawn up taking into account established market trends. If competitors operate from, for example, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., the company will have to keep its outlets open during that period. Actually, if we consider the Austin store in this context, its operating hours in Moscow most often correspond to the noted interval. And employees can rate it as quite comfortable. In the Russian capital, in general, the approach to building a work schedule is considered quite common, according to which a person comes to work at 10 or finishes it by 22 o’clock. In this sense, the hours of work at Austin are quite consistent with those used in the retail market.
Regarding the infrastructure of work in Austin: this can be assessed by employees as being among the most modern, since, as we noted above, the stores that are part of the corresponding retail network are most often located in large shopping centers. Most of them are quite new, and therefore they implement the best infrastructure solutions. For example, at the relevant facilities, ensuring the operation of spacious parking lots, equipping buildings and structures with escalators, elevators, providing premises with bright lighting, installing modern communication technologies available to employees and visitors.
Again, due to the fact that Austin stores - reviews from employees can confirm this - are located in large shopping centers, employees of the corporation always have the opportunity to use the services of nearby restaurant and entertainment services. Thus, from the point of view of infrastructure accessibility, work at Austin has every reason to be highly appreciated by the employees of this corporation.
The next most important aspect of working in companies operating in the retail sector is the level of comfort in the interaction of employees with colleagues and managers. The fact is that a number of corporations do not pay too much attention to ensuring, in particular, informal interaction between employees and management that allows them to quickly solve current problems. In order to agree on a particular issue, a person may sometimes need to leave his workplace.
In modern retail corporations, such as Austin, judging by opinions on the Internet, a very effective scheme of interaction between employees and management has been established, which allows issues that arise to be resolved in a short time. And this may appeal to many employees of this company.
Shopping at Austin: what do the store's customers say?
Let's now study customer opinions about Austin stores. Customer reviews in this case can also be classified into several types. Namely:
Opinions about the assortment;
Feedback on prices;
Opinions about the quality of service;
Assessments of the interior and other indicators of the comfort of shopping in the stores of the retail chain in question.
What do Austin customers say about the range of products available in certain retail outlets? We noted above that there are two main formats for selling products in the retail chain under consideration - “Supermarket” and “Discount”. An Austin store operating under the first concept will likely have an assortment that is noticeably different from that characterizing the operation of outlets of the second type. Therefore, in this case, it makes sense to divide customer reviews into those that are related to the “Supermarket” and “Discount” formats.
It is worth noting that Austin customers, adjusted for the difference in assortments, tend to evaluate the range of goods offered for sale in the stores of the corresponding retail chain as being quite consistent with modern market trends. Which is not at all surprising, since assortment is one of the main competitive advantages of brands in the retail sector.
Regarding prices: the Austin Corporation, as we noted above, belongs to the discounters of the retail market, like Sportmaster. Therefore, the pricing policy of the company in question is initially positioned as democratic. But apart from the fact that the price list for goods is compiled taking into account the need to maintain the brand’s reputation as supplying economy-class products, the Austin company, as its clients may note, often practices discounts on various goods and regularly organizes sales of clothing.
This approach, according to customers of the Austin chain, allows the store to create an assortment that allows a person who needs to buy a new type of clothing at an affordable price to come and choose the best option for themselves at any time. That is, an “Austin” client is a buyer who, even if he does not have large incomes, can come to one or another outlet of the network in question and choose a product at an affordable price. Of course, it is quite possible that this will not be the most ideal option - for example, a type of clothing from a not-so-new collection, however, in terms of basic consumer parameters and, of course, price, it can be very suitable for a person.
Regarding the quality of service, the Austin clothing store chain, like most other modern brands in the retail market, tries to maintain it at a consistently high level. Along with the assortment and prices, the quality of services is the most important thing for corporations in the retail sector. As buyers may note, indeed, in this aspect, the Austin chain looks quite competitive.
Another significant aspect of forming customer opinions about a brand is the comfort of shopping in relevant stores. In this case, the interior of retail outlets, their area, level of illumination, and the appearance of the goods present on the counter are important. From the point of view of each of the noted parameters, buyers tend to rate the comfort of shopping at Austin as quite high. Which, again, may likely be due to fairly high competition in the retail industry and the need for brands, as a consequence, to carry out a large amount of work in ensuring the convenience of shopping in a store for customers.
Where are the Austin stores located (Moscow, St. Petersburg)?
It will also be useful to consider the specifics of the geography of the Austin brand. The addresses of the stores of this retail chain, if we talk about the largest markets where the brand operates - Moscow, St. Petersburg - are located in various areas of the cities.
So, probably, the closest “Austin” to the center of the capital in the “Discount” format is located on the street. Ordzhonikidze, 11. The store, presented in a classic concept and close to the central region of Moscow, is located in the Sokolniki shopping center, on the street. Rusakovskaya, in the possession of 37-39. Directly in the center of the capital is the classic “Austin” at 16 Ovchinnikovsky Lane.
Where are Austin retail outlets in the Northern capital? Stores in St. Petersburg that are part of the retail chain under consideration are also located in many areas of the city. If we talk about the central part of St. Petersburg, then a store in the “Discount” format can be found here at Volkovsky Prospekt, 32. Not far from it there is a large classic store “Austin” - on Efimova, 3b.
Before heading to one or another retail outlet in the network in question, you can visit the O"Stin online store of clothing and accessories and select the item you are interested in and get an idea of the price. As a rule, the company’s website also contains information about interesting discounts and promotions of the brand.
Brand name: Austin
Tagline: Nice to buy, comfortable to wear
Industry: retail/clothing manufacturing
Products: clothing, accessories
Owning company: Sportmaster Operations Pte Ltd
Year of company foundation: 1996
Year of brand creation: 2003
Headquarters: Russia
Performance indicators
Financial indicators of the company "Sportmaster"
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Net revenue |
Net financial debt |
The number of employees |
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- Spormaster - more than 380 stores in Russia and 50 in the CIS countries (2014)
- O"STIN - more than 700 stores in Russia (2014)
history of the company
In 1992, graduates of the Moscow Physics and Technology Institute - the Fartushnyak brothers and several of their friends - founded the Ilion trading and purchasing company. Almost immediately they managed to find a “gold mine” in the form of a well-known Western brand - in 1993 they began selling Kettler exercise machines. Two years later, in 1995, they opened a mono-brand retail store, Kettler-Sport, and almost immediately moved on: in 1996, the Sportmaster brand was registered.
By 1999, the Sportmaster chain already consisted of 7 stores, and the total number of visitors reached 1 million people a year. In the same year, the company opened the largest sports store in Moscow with an area of 2 thousand square meters. m. In 2000, the company entered the regions, opening stores in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Novosibirsk, as well as launching a large distribution center with an area of 50 thousand square meters. m.
In 2003, the company launched a new retail project - the Sportlandia chain of multi-brand stores. Sportmaster developed and implemented a new format, opening 10 stores, after which the chain began to develop as a franchise. Currently, in addition to the Sportlandia format, Sportmaster is developing other franchise networks of clothing, shoes and accessories in Russia and the CIS - the Columbia monobrand chain, the FootTerra shoe chain, and the O'Neill clothing and footwear chain. In 2003, the company also formed a chain of casual clothing stores under its own brand "O"STIN.
The sporting goods chain “Sportmaster” operates in “supermarket” and “hypermarket” formats. The predominant format is the “supermarket” (175 stores), with a total area of 1800 sq. m. In larger premises (with an area of about 5 thousand sq.m.) there are stores of the “hypermarket” format - as of the second quarter of 2011, there are 27 points of this format in Russia, three more are located in Ukraine. The structure of retail space also includes discount stores (as of the second quarter of 2011, there are 7 of them in Russia) and convenience stores. The number of assortments presented in the Sportmaster network reaches 5 thousand product items. The presented assortment is also available for purchase in the online store. As of the second quarter of 2011, the chain has 202 stores in 70 cities of Russia, 16 stores in six cities of Ukraine and one store in Belarus. By 2011, Sportmaster chain stores were located throughout Russia, with the exception of the Far East.
"O"STIN" also operates in several formats: "O"STIN supermarket" and "O"STIN-discount." Retail outlets of both formats have an average total area of 500 sq.m. The main difference is that "O" stores 'STIN DISCOUNT" sells clothing and accessories of the current and previous seasons with discounts of up to 70%. In total, the network is represented by 286 supermarkets and 14 discount format stores. The chain of clothing stores "O"STIN" by the 1st half of 2011 included 300 stores was presented in 96 cities of Russia. The priority region for the O"STIN network is Moscow and the Moscow region - there are 57 and 31 stores here, respectively. 25 retail outlets operate in St. Petersburg. In other cities, O"STIN stores are represented in smaller numbers. In addition to Russia, the chain operates in Ukraine (21 stores in 14 cities) and Kazakhstan (3 stores in 3 cities).
In Russia, “Sportmaster” in 2012 took 15th place in the annual rating of retail companies “INFOLine&Retailer Russia TOP-100”. The "O"STIN" chain of stores was also included in this rating and became 39th in it. The basis for the distribution of companies in the "INFOLine&Retailer Russia TOP-100" is data from the financial statements of retailers, expert surveys and interviews with representatives of the chains, and their press releases , materials from websites, prospectuses and investment memorandums. Data from research conducted by INFOLine specialists within the framework of the “Retail Trade” topic and our own archive of materials since 2001 were also used.
In 2014, Sportmaster Group of Companies manages a chain of the same name, which includes more than 360 sporting goods stores, the Sportmaster Discount and O’stin chains, as well as a distribution division. In addition, Sportmaster Group manages a network of Columbia franchise stores. The plans include opening up to one hundred budget family clothing stores under the Funday brand in 2015.
Experts from Roskachestvo checked popular gifts for Defender of the Fatherland Day in 2019. O´STIN shirts and underwear received high marks from experts. The high quality of tailoring, even stitching and strong seams, and the density of the fabric were noted.
True, sources disagreed about what, or more precisely, who was the prototype - there are many famous people with the surname Austin in the English-speaking world. For example, Stephen F. Austin, who made a significant contribution to the independence of the Texas Republic, which later became the 28th state of the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin, is named after him. Or the famous British writer Jane Austen, who lived around the same time. And there is also Herbert Austin (1866-1941), an English baron, designer and entrepreneur, founder of the Austin Motor Company, which at one time produced iconic cars. Although, of course, cars and clothes don’t go well together. Flowers are a little better, and then it could be Austin's father or son - Charles or David - who became famous for creating new types of roses.
O'stin's website avoids the question of origin, stating that "We've been helping people create their own personal looks for over 10 years through the power of casual style - the style we love and live in." But the fashion&stylist website, however, without links to sources, writes:
“According to some information, it became known that the Austin brand was originally created in the United States of America. But on the foreign Internet there is practically no mention of the history of this brand. Thus, the final conclusion was made that the Ostin trademark appeared in 2003 in Russia as an independent company. However, this fact has not been officially confirmed. Recently, information was published about the first company, Austin, which appeared in America only in the late 90s. She designed and produced both women's and men's casual clothing."
We were unable to find any mention of the American company Austin. Let us note, however, that the surname Austin in the original language sounds like Austin, so, most likely, we are still dealing with an independent brand created by Russian marketers. It is quite possible that the concept was based on some foreign prototype, but, let’s agree, this story is reminiscent of the famous fairy tale about “Axe Soup.” Still, the ingredients and technology for cooking the “soup” are original.
This is how the opening of the 500th O"STIN store in Ulyanovsk was celebrated in 2012
OStin brand- a project of Russian businessmen Vladimir and Nikolai Fartushnyakov. The brand produces cotton and synthetic clothing at affordable prices, as well as inexpensive accessories.
OStin brand history
O’Stin is a subsidiary of the Sportmaster company, which was founded by the Fartushnyak brothers in 1996. Stores selling sports equipment and shoes quickly became popular, so a new project was launched in 2003. Russian businessmen have created a line of simple casual clothing. The first O’Stin brand stores were opened in Yekaterinburg and the capital.
Thanks to competent marketing, the brand has become popular in the CIS countries. Over 13 years, the company has opened more than 700 branded stores and launched several new product lines.
Brand Austin - clothing range
Austin Kids - clothes for children
Austin is all about hard-wearing casual wear. Calm shades, discreet models without flashy accessories and bright details. Clothes are made from 100% cotton or with synthetic additives, such as polyester or acrylic. There are models made of wool.
The brand releases new collections twice a month. The Denim range includes denim items, and the Kids range includes clothes for children. There is a premium line Smart and a youth line Studio.
Children's clothing is designed for young customers under 12 years old. Adult models are designed for creative and practical adult women and men. In addition to sweaters, trousers, jumpers, dresses and blouses with shirts, the O’Stin brand produces hats, gloves and scarves, as well as wallets and bags.
