Adidas re-imagines retail with digitally-inspired store focused on service

Adidas has opened a store that combines an array of digital innovations with a strong emphasis on service and brand immersion.

The new Adidas flagship, on Oxford Street in London, spans more than 26,900 sq. ft. over four floors and houses the full spectrum of Adidas products along with exclusive items and a customization studio (Maker’s Lab) that offers a high degree of personalization. 

The digital highlights include a new app feature, Bring It To Me, that works in synch with most of the store’s tech innovations. The app uses in-store geolocation tracking to provide an uninterrupted browsing experience. Shoppers can scan products, check stock, request their size and purchase on the spot as they shop without having to wait in line. 

In addition, the app allows sneaker fans, or sneakerheads, to book reminders for upcoming releases by interacting with a large digital display, called the Hype Wall, on the ground floor.  The display promotes upcoming “hyped” releases or limited-drop products. Shoppers can scan the shoes’ code and the drop date is added directly into their calendars. 

Other digital elements include an interactive video game that is projected on to the floor and walls of the “young athletes” department and displays that showcase the brand’s technical expertise by blending traditional display techniques such as mannequins with digital screens that highlight promotional campaign and creative videos. Product launches, interactive games and other events are held in The Base, an immersive area on the ground floor made from LED screens and LED flooring that can change the mood and look of the space with the click of a button.  

There are two different type of fitting rooms, with each type being digitally enabled. Most of the rooms have mirrors that use RFID technology to instantly recognize products and provide information, with shoppers able to request different sizes and colors via the mirror without leaving the space. 

Another type of fitting room offers an immersive experience, with a huge screen that allows the customer to choose a backdrop and view the product they are trying on in a real-world environment. 

The new Adidas houses two “running labs” where customers can test product on treadmills. As they run, an interactive video screen adjusts to their gait and depicts London landscapes, giving customers the feeling that they are running through the city. 

The store’s digital innovations are augmented by a range of boutique-like services, including a sneaker cleaning service, bra-fitting appointments with specially trained staff, and on-site seamstresses. 

The store design celebrates its locale. Images in the fitting rooms depict London athletes and sports teams, and each floor features original commissions from London artists. Most striking is a Union Jack installation made from 1,000 national flags that honors the ‘city of a thousand nations.’ London’s diversity is also reflected by the store team that, combined, speak a total of 31 different languages.

Adidas London is 100% powered by renewable energy. Other sustainable features include the fixtures, which are made from recycled and recyclable materials. Benches are made from footwear waste. 

“The new adidas LDN [London] store is more than a retail experience of the brand, it’s going to be a beacon for us in the city,” said Chris Walsh, VP brand, Adidas North Europe. “Whether its designing in the MakerLab, finding the perfect footwear in the Running Lab or competing in The Base, this is a place where communities from all corners of London and beyond can come together and create.”