Nike Opens Screen-Filled, Frictionless Shopping Flagship In NYC

November 19, 2018 by Dave Haynes

Nike late last week opened the doors to what it calls “House of Innovation 000” – a new six-level flagship store at 650 Fifth Avenue in New York that is built around making shopping largely frictionless, and uses a lot of screens.

The 68,000 square foot store includes a center-hung, multi-level not-sure-what-I’d-call-it multi-sensory  tower structure in the atrium that has an array of screens on it, as well as screens doing everything from promo to adding visual energy.

There is also what appears to be a very large direct view LED wall on the street level.

But the real feature points of the store are things that make it fast, easy and interesting to buy Nike gear. Much of the shopping experience is built around a smartphone app, and the proposition that someone could walk in, buy stuff or pick up stuff they bought ahead of that via mobile app, and walk out – without talking to store staff or going through checkout.

Says a Nike PR piece about the store:

You’ll find familiar assists, like NikePlus Member Unlocks upon entering the store and Scan to Try, where you can request an item to be brought to you for a quick fitting. There are also new features to Nike NYC that are both personal and intuitive. With Shop The Look, you can scan a code on an in-store mannequin, browse every item that the mannequin is dressed in, check to see if specific sizes are available in-store and then request for a store athlete to send the items to a fitting room.

With Shop The Look, you can scan the code at the foot of a mannequin and shop the entire outfit, which can then be purchased immediately through Instant Checkout.

Nike Instant Checkout, meanwhile, is just as it sounds: Scan. Pay. You’re done. Skip the lines and check out from within the Nike App (you’ll receive a payment receipt within the app too). Nike Instant checkout stations are positioned throughout Nike NYC so customers can bag their purchase and go.

The Nike Speed Shop, says the piece, is an entire floor that uses local data to stock its shelves, and re-stock them based on what the community wants. Think Melrose, but at an even larger scale. You can browse the Sneaker Bar with the aid of a store athlete or a digital read-out of locals-only data — your choice. NikePlus members can reserve items via phone and have them held in an in-store locker, ready for pickup whenever is convenient.

Powered by Nike digital commerce data, and similar to the makeup of a Nike Live store, the Nike Speed Shop delivers frictionless, on-the-go access to NYC favorites.

The store also has two maker’s studios that enable shoppers to fully customize their shoes, all the way down to laces, fabrics, and decals.

Blinging out shoes escapes me (I’m old), but I’d buy be much more likely to buy Nike kicks if they made more than one style for guys with wide feet. Not ready for big, white Grandpa walking shoes, Nike. Just saying. ;-]

Nike opened a House of Innovation in Shanghai last month.

Not a big fan of this approach (see pic below)

Business Insider has a good walk-thru, with tons of pix, here …

  1. It’s not the best thing but it is the direction that retailers are heading. UX in retail has to rely on smarter solutions to connect with the consumer at point of sale
    It is not the only choice, but it is a glimpse into the future of retail.

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