The first ever Nike Live concept, which the company is calling Nike by Melrose, "officially opens" to L.A.-area residents today with a "fashionable assortment tailored specifically for locals based on data, store exclusives and a high-powered stream of technology aimed at making shopping convenient," according to Kari Hamanaka of WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY. Nike President of Direct-to-Consumer Heidi O'Neill said, "It is really built as a service hub for our local NikePlus Members and it's designed for them, by them and it's built for speed and convenience." The space "boasts one-on-one shopping for NikePlus Members in a program the company is calling Nike Express Sessions." The space will also have a Dynamic Fit Zone, with a "treadmill to test product and styling rooms." Nike App users will "be able to reserve product that will fittingly be held for them in lockers and can check inventory online." L.A. is "one of a dozen cities globally that the company is focusing on to grow its business." O'Neill said, "L.A. is where our biggest pockets of Members live and in L.A. we wanted to be close because we want to learn a lot quickly so that we can scale the concept." O'Neill said that Melrose Avenue specifically "proved a central location for Nike App members, based on data and a study of traffic patterns." Whether the space "ends up servicing a mostly local customer base or if it has a much larger draw remains to be seen." The store's opening "underscores two key themes that have been playing on repeat as of late: localization at retail and an increasing focus by brands on the growth opportunities to be had" in L.A. O'Neill said that Tokyo is "already being planned" for next spring (WWD.com, 7/12).
