Check out Nike’s new Paris flagship
Nike isn’t letting the pandemic stop it from opening new store concepts.
The athletic footwear and apparel giant on July 30 opened a 26,000-sq.-ft. flagship on the famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The massive four-level space is Nike’s third store to open under its “House of Innovation” banner (the others are in Manhattan and Shanghai). It comes on the heels of the opening of another new format, Nike Rise, in Guangzhou, China.
In keeping with its House of Innovation predecessors, Nike Paris is designed to offer an immersive and digitally-powered end-to-end consumer journey. It features one of the largest assortments of Nike footwear in Europe, with modular store layouts that will be consistently updated. It also provides members of Nike’s loyalty club with exclusive offers.
The Paris location boasts several new experiences, starting with a “mission control” area at the entry. The wall-to-wall digital installation connects shoppers to “ the global and local community of sport, exclusive member benefits and the latest activations at Nike House of Innovation doors in New York and Shanghai,” the company stated.
Other new features include a bra-fitting service that combines personalization and digital to create a better shopping experience. It uses Nike Fit proprietary machine learning and advanced algorithms to give in-store shoppers fit recommendations for any Nike bra.
There is also a “kids pod,” described as a “destination for interactive gaming and trial station to keep kids moving.” Kids cab gear up and tap into features like a one-handed zipper challenge and a 360-degree virtual runners experience.
Sustainability is integrated into Nike Paris. More than 85,000 kilos of sustainable material are woven into the fabric of the store design and display fixtures. And through a partnership with Iberdrola, one of the world’s leading wind power company, the store is fueled by a clean energy wind complex in Spain.
Nike’s digital prowess is showcased through a comprehensive suite of Nike App in-store services in-store, including buy online, reserve in store; Nike Scan to Learn, Nike Scan to Try, Nike Shop the Look) and an enhanced digital infrastructure with boosted Wi-Fi technology.
"When consumers step into Nike Paris, they will experience our largest, most digitally connected and immersive retail concept in the world," said Heidi O'Neill, president of consumer and marketplace. "The strength of our digital portfolio combined with product innovation and amazing physical spaces, will connect members to the community of sport and to one-of-a-kind experiences, serving them in an incredibly personal way.”
O’Neil added that the new store reinforces Nike’s four areas of focus: uniting shoppers to a global community of sport; serving women with the most innovative product and services; creating more opportunities for kids to get active; and designing a more seamless end-to-end consumer experience.