Nike Opens New Concept Store at Roosevelt Field

Nike unveiled its new 14,000 square foot concept store at Roosevelt Field Wednesday night, the first of its kind for the company on the East Coast and only the second to open up in the United States.

The store, which features wide aisles, colorful displays and dozens of mannequins, emphasizes customer service and high-tech product offerings tailored to each customer, or "team member," as they are called.

"Everything now is personal," said Ryan Schafer, marketing coach at Nike. "Everything is focused on customer service."

The Nike opening comes at a time of increased competition in the sports apparel and footwear category at Roosevelt Field. In August, Foot Locker introduced its newly designed House of Hoops by Foot Locker while Adidas this month unveiled its new store design, giving shoppers a choice of three powerful brands under one roof.

The Nike store, on the mall's second level, offers an extensive and varied merchandise mix. There is performance footwear and apparel for men and women spanning several sport categories, including training, basketball, soccer and running. There is sportswear, footwear and apparel including retro Air Jordans, Air Maxes, Air Force 1s and Dunks, and limited edition releases.

The Nike store, which has 90 employees, is arranged in product blocks that feature pieces from a specific category or brand. The Jordan block, for example, features all Jordan brand and apparel. In addition to the product blocks, there is a full service NIKEiD space in the middle. The NIKEiD area offers customizable footwear and apparel options and iD exclusives.

The NIKEiD program began in 1999 as a way for consumers to design their own Nike footwear, but has since broadened to include apparel and other equipment. This new store offers 115 key styles for consumers to customize their sneakers.

True to its founding, running is still at the forefront of the new concept store. One program, Nike+ Run Club, lets users "test-drive" their latest Nike footwear and tune into their experience using Nike+, a technology that allows runners to connect their iPod or iPhone to their running shoes while tracking distance, pace and calories. New iMac stations and wireless connectivity in the store enables runners to sync up their run at NikePlus.com along with iPod charging docks and printable custom routes. If you are unsure how to use the technology, Nike personnel are available to troubleshoot.

Schafer said Nike wants its customers to feel "empowered" when they walk into the store and feel they are part of the team, no matter what kind of athlete they are.

"If you have a body, any type of body, you're an athlete in our eyes, and we will find something that fits your needs," he said.

The first Nike concept store, a two-story, 20,000 square foot facility, opened in Santa Monica last month. The Roosevelt Field store opened in August as well, during its soft launch period.

"The reviews have been tremendous," Schafer said. "Just being around here empowers you."