When adidas opened its nearly 30,000-square-foot Sport Performance Store on a high-profile corner in lower Manhattan on May 7, the footwear and apparel giant had bigger plans than merely selling a few
extra sneakers. Indeed, the opening-day event which featured sports luminaries ranging from Anna Kournikova to Leila Ali gave onlookers a clue of what Adidas envisioned: A one-stop hub for the
company's New York presence.
"It's definitely more than a store," acknowledges Todd Seidel, Adidas senior retail development manager. "We see it as a brand resource." Adidas isn't the first
to explore and/or exploit the marketing and branding potential of a big-city flagship store, of course. Chief rival Nike years ago set up shop in midtown, while Hershey's hung a shingle in Times
Square shortly thereafter.
The Sport Performance Store, however, arrives with a community-first mission that distinguishes it from the competition. Seidel views the store as a community
center of sorts, one that will offer events and training clinics with Adidas partners. "Our biggest goal is to make sure that consumers are aware that this is a resource in their community," he
explains. To that end, the company is making a partnership push with nearby gyms and fitness centers.
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The store's location at the busy intersection of Broadway and Houston may prove to be the
company's most effective media placement. Adidas won't rush to open another store unless a site promising a similar mix of visibility and spaciousness becomes available.