The new store, called Rygbi Tackle, opened on Dunraven Place on Wednesday and is the only outlet in the town centre that supplies genuine branded sports wear, filling the gap left by JJB Sports' previous move to Bridgend's Designer Outlet.
The shop owner, Lee Craig, a 39-year-old local father from Brackla, set up the shop after he was made redundant from his full-time job at Lloyds TSB's customer service centre in Pencoed.
Previously, he had always wanted to own his own business and wanted to combine his ambition with his passion for rugby, but after seeing shops closing in the town-centre and hearing the local business community's fears in the wake of the recession, he only plucked up the courage to open a small unit in Bridgend's indoor market in May 2011.
When he lost his job a month later, Lee realised that he had two options – try to find another full-time job at a time when unemployment was spiraling upward, or try to make his dream of owning a business succeed.
He approached Centre for Business, one of the longest established business support organisations in South Wales, to draw up a viable business plan and he was encouraged to open Rygbi Tackle.
On its opening day, the shop had more than 200 visitors in just two hours and it is now predicted to be a local success ahead of this year's Six Nations fever.
Lee said: "Losing my job was a real shock. No one had expected it and I was very unsure about what I wanted to do. At the time, trying to get back into employment didn't seem like a very good option, but on the other hand, I'd never had any retail experience and I knew that high-street businesses had been suffering, so expanding my market-stall to a full-blown shop didn't seem like a good idea either.
"I decided to look for some business support and the Centre for Business was fantastic. They gave me general start-up advice, as well as help with financial planning, lease agreements and HR.
"Now I'm thrilled to have been able to open a central outlet for local people to find affordable premier sports clothing and merchandise. I'm very excited about the prospect of being able to provide for my family independently, through the success of my own business, and I'm amazed by the good feedback I've had so far!”
Legendary Ospreys and Wales rugby player, Shane Williams, whose clothing range SW11 is supplied in store, said: "I was very happy to come along to the opening of Rygbi Tackle and I'm delighted that its first day was such a success.
"It's very sad that many local shops have been suffering during the downturn, but it's new store openings like this one that create a real buzz and draw people back to the town centres.
"I'm looking forward to working with Lee in the future and I wish him all the best in his first year.”
The Centre for Business was established in 1982 and with the support of Welsh Government Start up programme helps businesses get off the ground by running free training workshops and providing bespoke support and advice to areas across south Wales.
During that time, it has helped to create more than 10,000 new businesses, assisted 25,000 potential entrepreneurs and supported 6,000 existing businesses, with 83% of start-ups it assists still going after three years, compared to a national average of just 35%.
Jon Hughes, director of the Centre for Business, said: "Unfortunately, with unemployment levels at a record high, many people are currently in the position where they aren't able to find regular means of employment. In these times, it's incredibly important that these people look to entrepreneurialism as another option to find a self-sustaining income. By doing this, they can explore self-employment opportunities such as starting up their own businesses, just like Lee.
"We were more than happy to help Lee realise his dreams and we're looking forward to being there to help him as his business journey continues. I'm delighted to wish him every success for the future and we hope that Rygbi Tackle becomes a much-loved part of Bridgend's business community.”