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