After opening two flagship stores in New York and Shanghai respectively in 2019, Nike has recently opened its third House of Innovation in Paris.
Located on 79 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a historically beautiful street, Nike has made a colossal investment in the retail experience.
The expansive 26,000 square feet (2,400 square metres) store spread over four floors offers one of the largest assortment of Nike footwear in Europe. Heidi O’Neill, president of Nike Direct, says that customers who visit Nike Paris will experience the “most digitally connected and immersive retail concept in the world.”
“The strength of our digital portfolio combined with product innovation and amazing physical spaces, will connect members to the community of sport and to one-of-a-kind experiences, serving them in an incredibly personal way,” O’Neill adds.
Using an app that provides digital and mobile services connected to the store, customers are enabled to shop exclusively online in a real-world environment, elevating the physical customer experience whilst focusing on personalization. With safety amidst COVID-19 and e-commerce strategies being the top priorities, Nike has also specifically honed into customer connection, creating an unparalleled in-person touchless experience with innovative technology. They’ve strategically blurred the lines between digital and physical, working to stimulate multiple senses of the consumer to create a captivating experience through the power of design and athlete storytelling.
Nike leverage their creativity to not only use technology for enhanced user experience but lead with an environmentally conscientious mindset to battle climate change through an initiative called Move to Zero. They hope to direct their company towards a zero-carbon and zero-waste future by creating circular economy products.
“At Nike, we believe in the unlimited potential of athletes. We have an obligation to consider the complete design solution, inclusive of how we source it, make it, use it, return it, and, ultimately, how we reimagine it. […] By focusing on progress and not perfection and by making better choices, we embrace the chance to reconsider our craft in hope that it forms a ground swell of change,” said John Hoke, chief design officer at Nike.
With these goals in mind, Nike has weaved sustainability right into the Paris flagship store. Not only have they used over 85,000 kilos of sustainable material into store design and display fixtures, but they’ve also partnered with Iberdrola – the world’s leading wind power company from Spain, to power the entirety of Nike Paris with wind energy.
Nike continues to invest, adapt and innovate retail as COVID-19 restrictions are constantly changing over time. By making strategic and transparent changes with a heavy focus on consumer engagement, Nike continues to captivate consumers around the world, making us all wonder how they’ll influence the future of retail shopping.
