Hot Concepts

Uniqlo, the leading apparel retailer in Japan, spared no expense for its entry into Manhattan, opening a 36,000-sq.-ft. flagship in a century-old, landmarked building in SoHo. Renowned Japanese architect Masamichi Katayama of the cutting-edge Wonderwall firm designed the interior, giving it a streamlined, modern look that is juxtaposed with key architectural elements of the original space, such as exposed brick walls and large white columns.

The New York megastore is only the beginning. Uniqlo has its sights set on becoming a global brand via a strategy of opening flagships in major cities, followed by smaller units in each country. During the past two years, the chain has opened stores in Shanghai, Seoul, Hong Kong and the United States—where, including the flagship, it operates four units. It also has eight U.K. locations. Uniqlo is looking to open a flagship in Paris next year, and Milan after that.

Shoppers can ride a wave—literally —at Adrenalina: The Extreme Store, in Florida Mall, Orlando. In a first for retail, the store features a cutting-edge wave machine, FlowRider, that uses compact-wave technology to create in-store surfing and boarding experiences for patrons. Targeted at action-sports enthusiasts, Adrenalina stocks equipment and clothing for everything from surfing and wakeboarding to skydiving and mountain biking, offering such top brands as Billabong, Quiksilver and Element. Adrenalina is the first bricks-and-mortar offering from the extreme-sports multimedia and manufacturing company of the same name.