The operative theme at the New Balance flagship retail location in the Big Apple is experience. The footwear manufacturer wants you to experience its products, the lifestyle it offers and the brand itself. After stepping foot into its New York City storefront, you may take the New Balance "experience" a little more seriously.
What makes this 5th Avenue store so special is that it's not really a store, but a factory. The 4,000-square-foot showroom offers customers the opportunity to custom-build their own shoes via an in-store iPad application. The New Balance flagship store hopes to stress the workmanship involved in producing just one pair of its shoes. It takes almost an hour to complete the process of personalizing your requested kicks and another two to seven days before they arrive at your doorstep.
As the only athletic shoe retailer still producing shoes in the territorial United States, New Balance has made the homeliness and familiarity of its brand quite clear. If you live in the area, why not experience what it's like to make a pair of running shoes?
Interactive Fashion Factories
The New Balance Flagship Store in NYC is a Conveyor Belt of Style
Trend Themes
1. Customized Retail Experience - The trend of offering customers the ability to personalize and customize products in-store, creating a unique retail experience.
2. Factory-inspired Retail Spaces - Creating retail environments that resemble factories to highlight the manufacturing process and emphasize the craftsmanship behind the products.
3. Interactive In-store Applications - The use of in-store technology, such as iPad applications, to enhance the customer experience by allowing them to interact with products and personalize their purchases.
Industry Implications
1. Athletic Footwear Manufacturing - The athletic footwear industry can capitalize on the trend of offering customized and personalized shoe options to cater to individual customer preferences.
2. Retail Design and Store Fixtures - The industry involved in designing and building retail spaces can innovate by creating factory-inspired store designs that showcase the manufacturing process and create immersive experiences for customers.
3. Retail Technology Solutions - The retail technology industry has the opportunity to develop innovative in-store applications that enable customers to interact with products, customize their purchases, and provide a seamless shopping experience.