Nike Moscow continues the company’s commitment to transform sport retail through digitally connected experiences.
Source: Nike News – First Look: Inside Nike Moscow
I won’t drop a bunch of articles in here that discuss omni/multi channel as they relate to the sale of sportswear. Although I did just write a discussion on Finish Line, that’s not the point to beat a dead horse (sorry about that). Finish Line isn’t dead. They’ve been doing small adjustments to their stores to attempt to rebrand and create storytelling that engages their visitors. The problem is they’ve failed to connect to the buyer and they’ve failed to connect the digital buying experience to the retail experience.
Nike has obviously taken considerable thought in building out their new stores. A runner can take his Nike+ information and send it straight to the store he’s visiting and have gear tailored to his needs. He can then actually jump on a treadmill within the shop and make sure that his product is exactly as he needs it to be.
A soccer player can take the turf and try his Mercurial Vapors out with instruction from a Nike staff member. Now, I know that Finish Line is basically hiring high school kids and people who just want to work, but maybe the new strategy is actually paying a bit more and pursuing former college athletes who can discuss exactly what is needed.
I mean if I walk into this Finish Line and see these seats and this layout, I’m a bit more likely to drop a few dollars in the store. The wall isn’t segmented and fractured and the line of site from the front to the rear of the building has Feng Shui, a sorely overlooked method of merchandising in sportswear stores.
I realize that Nike’s New Moscow store is benefitting from a powerhouse company, but when you hit 12/share it’s time to really rethink how you are presenting footwear to your market, urban or not. Use the source link to check out more of Nike Moscow and realize that retail is changing and if you can’t connect the customer experience to the digital retail arena, you probably won’t make it very long anymore.