Dive Brief:
- Adding another shoe brand to its list of collaborators, Atmos and New Balance have partnered on a new in-store experience dubbed the NBSE (pronounced ‘the Embassy’), according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive.
- The store has an installation with a DJ Booth and modular furniture that can accommodate presentations, movie screenings, panel discussions and other gatherings. It will also display vinyl records celebrating the impact of the Washington D.C. music scene, per the announcement.
- The store opened on March 10 in the district’s Georgetown neighborhood. The company will host events and showcase exclusive New Balance apparel and footwear.
Dive Insight:
Since its founding in 2000, Atmos has collaborated with other shoe brands like Adidas, Puma and Nike and has grown to open 49 shops across Japan, Southeast Asia and the U.S.
Foot Locker bought Atmos’ parent company, Text Trading Company, for $360 million in cash in 2021. Following the Atmos acquisition, Foot Locker said in November that it wouldn’t expand in Japan during Q4 2022 because of Atmos’ current presence. At that point, the company reported a 0.7% decline to $2.2 billion in Q3 net sales.
“New Balance and Atmos have a storied relationship that dates back many years to both of our Japan teams,” Mel Peralta, vice-president of brand at Atmos Global, said in a statement. “To be able to launch this exclusive experience at our Georgetown store, in the heart of the DMV and with an area that loves NB like no other, is really exciting for us as a brand and a team. I think we will bring the D.C. area a special New Balance-focused experience that they will love and hopefully support for the months to come.”
Besides its partnership with Atmos, New Balance has been experimenting with physical store concepts. After opening a community-centric store concept in Guangzhou, China, the company opened a similar brick-and-mortar storefront in Boston this year.
