Adidas opened Adidas NYC, its brand flagship and largest store worldwide.
Set at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 46th Street, Adidas NYC heralds a new era in how consumers experience creativity and sport in stores. On Thursday, NFL Pro Bowler DeMarco Murray, U.S. National Team Captain Becky Sauerbrunn, Houston Astros star shortstop Carlos Correa, New York City FC Captain and international legend David Villa and New York Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan were joined by nearly 100 high school athletes from across the New York metropolitan area to unlock the doors to Adidas NYC.
Later in the afternoon, five players from The New York Knicks – Derrick Rose, Kristaps Porzingis, Joakim Noah, Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez – surprised opening-day visitors with an unannounced store visit, during which they raffled limited pairs of in-demand UltraBOOST sneakers to unsuspecting fans.
“Creativity fuels us and helping athletes is why we exist. Adidas NYC is created with the athlete first, as a consumer-powered brand experience at the heart of 5th Avenue. Everything is tailored for athletes’ needs and desires to help them make a difference in their game, in their life and in their world,” said Kasper Rorsted, Adidas Group CEO. “Adidas NYC is a crucial component of our Creating the New strategy, which puts a major business focus on influential cities like New York.” Inspired by high school stadiums, Adidas NYC celebrates creativity in sport through the new stadium retail concept. The store features a tunnel entrance, stands for live-game viewing on big screens, locker rooms instead of dressing rooms and track and field areas where consumers can test and experience products. “
Adidas NYC will constantly challenge the status quo and what consumers expect when they go to a store,” said Mark King, Adidas Group North America President. “We’re giving consumers an experience that’s really authentic to them. Our job isn’t to dictate what they need or what we think they might want, but to listen to our consumers and athletes and create the future together. That’s exactly what we’re doing with Adidas NYC.”
Sustainability was core to the store design. Adidas NYC maintains the building’s existing textures and finishes, which reduced the need for new materials. The store features hangers and mannequins created from recycled ocean plastic and developed in collaboration with Adidas partner Parley for the Oceans. Adidas NYC consumers can directly contribute to Parley’s beach clean-up efforts in the Maldives by purchasing Adidas x Parley water bottles available in the store. Adidas NYC offers consumers an unprecedented brand experience centred around sport.
The design of the store draws inspiration from high school stadiums. The entrance mimics the tunnel through which players walk to get to the field, and high school-style bleachers overlook 5th Ave. between the first and second level.
The store also offers real-time fitness consultations from EXOS trainers, healthy juices and snacks co-created with Brooklyn-based Grass Roots Juicery, a concierge desk, a same-day hotel delivery service, personalized shopping experiences such as the Run Genie gait analysis tool, and more. Adidas NYC shoppers will regularly have access to the brand’s best product across every category including football, basketball, running, Originals, tennis and soccer.
In celebration of the store opening, Adidas NYC is offering limited pairs of the miAdidas NYC UltraBOOST, the UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley and the UltraBOOST Triple Black. James Harden’s signature collection Harden Vol. 1 will be available exclusively at Adidas NYC two days before its official launch.
Photo courtesy Adidas
