A new Jordan Brand store opening Saturday in Chicago's Loop "marks an early effort by Nike to double sales at the division" to $4.5B by '20, according to Becky Yerak of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Nike also "plans to open Jordan Brand stores" in N.Y., L.A. and ultimately Toronto, "selling not only basketball sneakers but also men's training shoes." Jordan Brand also "plans to begin making shoes specifically for women in coming years." Atlanta-based brand consultant Laura Ries said of broadening the Jordan Brand, "It's exactly the wrong thing to do." She added the brand's focus on basketball is "why it has been successful for decades." She asked, "Why do women need a men's hero shoe?" Nike also said last week that it "plans to begin reporting Jordan Brand financial results separately instead of lumping them into its basketball division." The main exterior signage at the new Chicago store "is the Jumpman logo." and the store's name "is just its address -- 32 S. State St." The ground floor "has about 1,800 square feet devoted to retail" and also "pays homage" to Michael Jordan. It includes a "250-square-foot consumer lounge." Upstairs from the retail store is the 3,400-square-feet Station 23, "a gym for invited guests, mostly for athletes age 14 to 18 in the Chicago area." Another part of Station 23 "includes a customization area where Jordan Brand apparel that's sold downstairs can be embellished with patches, graphics, names or numbers." On site are "digital garment and vinyl printers and embroidery machines" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/22).
SIGN OF THE TIMES: Basketball HOFer Jerry West has suggested that the NBA logo should be changed from a silhouette of himself to one of Jordan, and ESPN's Max Kellerman said, “The time is long past due, but you know what the fact is? The Jumpman logo is basically -- forget about the NBA -- the basketball logo. That’s the most recognizable basketball logo in the world. Of course, the NBA should have adopted it years ago.” Kellerman added, “Michael Jordan’s sneakers still sell 10 times what LeBron’s sneakers sell. … Michael Jordan is by far the No. 1 athlete in the history of American team sports and it’s going to be that way for a while. The NBA should embrace that even more than they already have” (“SportsNation,” ESPN2, 10/22).
