With its latest store concept, Nike Style, Nike broadens its immersive store experience

Nike shoppers in Seoul’s Nike Style store were greeted with the retailer’s latest concept store last week. Nestled in the Hongdae neighborhood of the South Korean capital, it stocks seasonal collections alongside localized products curated for the area.

• The store features “gender-agnostic lifestyle product zones,” according to Nike, which include apparel, footwear, and accessories. Augmented-reality installations allow customers to interact with QR codes throughout the store in a more immersive experience.

Nike says it plans to open a second Nike Style store in Shanghai this fall, followed by more in other countries, the retailer announced.

Zoom out: Part of Nike’s efforts to solidify its DTC strategy is optimizing store concepts, which include Nike Style, Nike Live, and Nike Rise, to push localized collections.

• The Nike Live store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, features a section of gender-neutral apparel and footwear as part of its plan to connect with the Gen Z consumer.

With the expansion of Nike Style and its other store concepts, the retailer is hoping to “blend physical and digital experiences,” it noted in the release. It is also something that’s been part of Nike’s long-term strategy. “We’re using digital services to create a Nike distinctive experience that blurs the line between digital and our stores,” Daniel Heaf, vice president of Nike Direct, told Retail Dive last November.—JS