Apparel retailer Sportscraft Wagga has moved into the heritage building situated at 102 Baylis Street where Floor Dekor had been- a move which will hopefully help draw more business to the main street.

"With main streets, it takes good tenancies and good locations to draw customers back to the strip so we're hoping it will rejuvenate the whole strip," Sportscraft brand management APG&Co CEO Martin Matthews said.

"We're excited about the location as it's a very prominent store. Being in a shopping centre is fine- but it doesn't allow us to tell the story in terms of the history as a brand."

APG&Co general manager retail Tony Rogers said they are hoping the prominence of the new location will help grow the brands local popularity.

"The heritage building is stunning and being right here in the centre of town allows the building to stand forward and it is just a really good opportunity for us," Mr Rogers said.

"We have had a successful business at the Wagga Marketplace, but we found there was even more potential in the CBD.

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"We could have easily renewed the building in the Marketplace- but for a similar rent it was really compelling and we wanted to do something a bit more interesting.

"We're Australia's oldest apparel brand. We've been around since 1914, so being in such a beautiful spot in a building of similar age really tells its story.

"We were also a bit restricted with space and we didn't feel as though it had a big presence in the marketplace. Our new building is much biggger and has a bigger presence."

Mr Rogers said the new location will enable the brand to launch a selection of children's and plus size wear over the next four weeks.

"It's also so beautiful and we're hoping it will make it a lot more popular- and it's good to see the strip looking a lot nicer as well with such a beautiful building."

Mr Rogers said he is hoping the new central presence will draw customers to not only shop in store but to online shop as well as he is anticipating shopping to increase upon COVID-19 restrictions easing.

"During covid people had no option but to shop online, but as big as it's becoming it never does replace the full amount of `sales from retail," he said.

"Shopping is a leisure activity- people want to come in a touch the product and see how it's warn."

The makeover has also received the nod of approval from Wagga Historian Geoff Burch who said the building, which goes back to 'around the 1880s if not a little bit earlier', still remains true to its original structure.

"As you can see it's still reasonably authentic. It's certainly got the character of those earlier buildings," Mr Burch said.

"There was a big fire in the building in the late to early 1900s, it gutted it out but the front is still original.

"It has been a polling place, a general store and a furniture mart."

Ironically, the store's history comes as a full circle as Mr Burch said it was also home to a fabric merchant in the 20th century.

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