adidas Set To Open “Sport Performance” Store In Manhattan

By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large

adidas will open its fifth U.S. “Sport Performance” store Saturday in lower Manhattan, the latest in a retail push that has seen it open ten concept stores in the U.S. in recent years and more than 25 globally. The 29,500-square-foot store is adidas’ largest store of any kind. Nonetheless, “we are not a retailer,” insisted adidas America Manager of Retail Development Todd Seidel. “It’s about being able to showcase our brand in one place and having a breadth of product you just won’t see anywhere else.”

adidas Aiming For Diverse Market With Its Manhattan “Sport Performance” Store

BODY WORKS: The N.Y. store will sell cutting-edge (read high-margin) adidas products, aimed at a diverse audience. “A lot of our product for niche sports, like boxing or wrestling, we supply to Olympians, but it doesn’t get much retail exposure,” Seidel said. He added that the “Sport Performance” stores will also have a broader selection of products for mainstream sports, like basketball. Consumers will also be able to achieve new levels of customization and “build” their own athletic shoes. adidas said the store’s “minimalist” design was inspired by an athlete's body. Running across the ceiling of the store are curved beams, or ribs, that create the idea of a ribcage of an athlete. All the walls and furniture are black or white.

FLOOR SPACE: adidas also has fashion-oriented “Sport Heritage” stores, including one in N.Y.’s Soho area, offering retro product. Add those and the “Sport Performance” stores to its 200-plus outlet stores worldwide (46 U.S.), and you’ve got a lot of retail floor space for a non-retailer. “We have no grand retail expansion plans,” said Seidel, declining to offer projections on any future store openings. “We’ll be opportunistic and look for good, high-traffic locations, but it’s all about showcasing the brand.”