Foot Locker, Inc. introduced a new retail store concept that “elevates the shopping experience with unrivaled customer service” at its Willowbrook Mall location in Wayne, N.J. The retailer reported it would incorporate learnings from the store into new retail sites.
The “store of the future” features a bold storefront, a distinct in-store environment, expanded footwear and accessory selection, an emphasis on sustainability, dynamic digital fixtures, and other tech advances. The concept also allows FL employees to elevate customer service through a “sharpened high-tech toolkit.”
“Our new store concept cements Foot Locker’s position as the leader in sneaker culture by offering an engaging, cutting-edge shopping experience for the sneaker passionate,” said Mary Dillon, Foot Locker, Inc. president and CEO. “As we continue progressing against our Lace Up Plan, this inventive retail experience delivers on our promise to power up the portfolio while providing an unparalleled, omni-focused customer experience.”
The new store concept’s features include an “immersive shopping journey, new and exclusive releases, elevated brand storytelling, communal try-on area, sneaker hub, and digital technology advances.”
“After nearly 50 years, Foot Locker continues to be the beating heart and global home for all things sneakers,” said Frank Bracken, Foot Locker, Inc. executive VP and chief commercial officer. “Building on our sustained momentum, we’re thrilled to bring our revitalized store expression to our customers across the globe, inspiring them to shop top brands and unlock their inner sneakerhead with the help of our iconic Stripers.”
Throughout 2024, additional locations of FL’s new store concept will open, including the brand’s 34th Street flagship store in New York City. The store will also introduce a “reimagined” Kids FL experience, including a space where parents and kids can “meaningfully connect.” Additional “reinvented Foot Locker store concepts” will be introduced globally in Paris, Melbourne and Delhi through 2024.
Foot Locker, Inc. reported it continues to “progress against its Lace Up Plan,” which the retailer introduced in March 2023. To propel growth, the plan includes the company “reshaping its real estate footprint by opening new formats and shifting off mall.” The new store concept “aligns with the company’s strategy to “Power Up the Portfolio,” a key pillar of the plan.”
The learnings from this concept “will influence the future Foot Locker store experience and create a globally-scalable omnichannel experience across the Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker banners,” reported FL in a release.
In addition to these new retail formats, Foot Locker, Inc. has “delivered a meaningful store refresh program designed to create a more consistent and elevated brand experience. Through this initiative, approximately two-thirds of global Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker doors will be refreshed by year-end 2025. The store refreshes will align against key elements of the reinvented store concept – namely, demonstrating Foot Locker, Inc.’s leadership position in sneaker culture, enhancing storytelling capabilities, and elevating its brand partners,” said FL.
Foot Locker operates approximately 2,500 retail stores in 26 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and a licensed store presence in the Middle East and Asia. Foot Locker, Inc. portfolio of brands includes Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS, and Atmos.
Image courtesy Foot Locker, Inc.
