Nike and The Finish Line, Inc. have soft-launched the first store in a collaboration that is Finish Line Ltd.  On the heels of Nike’s partnership with Foot Locker on House of Hoops, many speculated that the expected Finish Line concept would be more focused on running.  The location chosen for the first store, the Chandler Fashion Center in the suburbs southwest of Phoenix, AZ, is notable because it was a former Finish Line store that boasted a higher penetration of running consumers than is typical, according to store management that spoke with Sports Executive Weekly.

During a pre-opening walk-through with the media and analysts, Nike and Finish Line executives outlined their expectations for the new format.  The store does have a running focus in the front, but is actually divided into three sections, with running represented in the front third of the store, sport style product in the middle third, and training and apparel in the last third.  There is no basketball and no kids product in the store.


The store, while heavily tagged with Nike signage and logos, is about 60% Nike product and 40% other brands, a mix Finish Line management said approximates their other stores. 


The “Nike+” Apple collaboration has a heavy presence down the middle of the store and it was noteworthy to see that Finish Line is selling iPods in the store as well.


While the new concept occupies a former full-line Finish Line store, sku count has been greatly reduced.  The new “LTD” store, which is about 5,500 sf, has just 300 sku’s versus 700 to 800 in a regular Finish Line store and 600 sku’s in the new Finish Line 4.0 concept.


The 4.0 concept, which debuted recently in Madison, WI, is a down-sized version of the Finish Line store, but within a smaller box and with far less apparel.  The 4.0 store, which is 3,500 sf versus the average 5,530 sf Finish Line store, has more product stories tabled on the floor and less on the wall.


“This new store will serve young athletes who have a passion for running and training,” said Nike brand President Charlie Denson.  “We’re partnering with Finish Line to offer a higher level of service, a deeper connection to the local running community and a strengthened product assortment.  It’s part of our long-term strategy to elevate the marketplace, create energy at retail and connect with consumers in our core categories.”


Nike management told SEW they were surprised how closely the final store came to the prototypes they developed in their facility back in Beaverton, right down to the product, signage and merchandising. 


The store features an exclusive assortment of Nike performance and sports culture footwear that reflect the colors of high schools in the Phoenix area. Shoppers will also see the same colors in the Nike Pro apparel offering, which will enable them to customize Nike Pro apparel with their own high school sport, name and number. 


To connect with the local young athlete consumer, Nike and Finish Line will hold “Rock the Lot,” a fun run, on May 18. Hundreds of high school students will be invited to participate to help kick off the launch of the store.  The store had a soft opening on May 7 and will have a grand opening to coincide with the fun run.


>>> SEW sees how this concept can be targeted toward the young athlete, both male and female, focused on training as a lifestyle.  The fact that Under  Armour is pitching a similar positioning without the running side included, was not lost on those in attendance…


>>> The selection of product on display would appear to support the notion of performance for the most part, but the store clearly had the feel of a hybrid, or possibly a work in progress. 


>>> While running was cited as a third of the floor, it felt more like 50% of the mix…