- Under Armour
- adidas
- Champion
- Fila
- Reebok
- Izod
Quick point out the Reebok. I know this isn’t a class and you can’t talk to me, but I’d like for you to tell me how long it took you to point out the Reebok. Now I want you to look at this picture below and guess where the sneaker wall is located. I’m at the front of the store taking this picture:
First, I need to state that this store redesign is one of the smartest layouts I’ve seen. This is a store that relies on the Nike wall and understands that Nike is also their competitor. They have offset slow sneaker sales with merchandising and compartmentalized branded stores within stores focused on apparel. In a time when Nike dominates the wall and is competing with its own accounts, stores are going to have to find a way to win the consumer’s dollars. Before I get back to the wall of kicks, sales leads all spoke highly of the upgrade in apparel at this location. Even the manager was happy that this layout was introduced. There are 6 of these 10x10x4 small apparel stores throughout the store. Where many consumers are constantly window shopping when it comes to sneakers and using their phones while they browse to look at online pricing, the same customers aren’t as quick to order apparel online. They prefer trying on their clothes and the fact that this store has more sportswear clothing options when compared to the other 6 sneaker retail stores in the mall, this store has been able to offset the slowdown in sneaker sales.
Now, back to the picture above. Where is the wall with the kicks located in this picture of the clothes? I took this picture from the front of the store. The sneaker wall is at the corner of the store in the back. You can’t see it in this picture. You can’t see it from almost any angle in the store. Other stores have similar walls that combine a variety of brands while Nike dominates most of the wall presentation that is immediately visible when you walk in. Now look at the artwork above the adidas, Reebok, Under Armour, Fila, Izod and Champion wall. A man in Nike sportswear is above this wall. I asked one of the sales leads if this is a problem and he said, he doesn’t think about it… and that is the problem.
