Foot Locker debuts 'power store' in North America

Dive Brief:

Foot Locker on Wednesday unveiled its newest store model, dubbed the "Power Store," on 8 Mile Road in Eastpointe, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, according to a company press release.
The more than 8,500-square foot space features a women's shop-in-shop and a Kids Foot Locker. The company currently operates "Power Stores" in England and Hong Kong. It's expected to open more than a dozen such concept stores in 2019, including in Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia in the U.S. and Milan in Europe.
The concepts are meant to serve as a "hub for local sneaker culture, art, music and sports," according to the press release. The store features custom art from Detroit artist Désirée Kelly, other city-centric products and an "activation space" for events.

Dive Insight:

Foot Locker is ratcheting up the power of its stores in North America. And it's hoping that experiential events, like concerts with Detroit rappers like Big Sean and Tee Grizzley, will be a slam dunk with local shoppers.

The new store follows a localization trend that many retailers are increasingly embracing. A new partnership with Adidas, for example, aims to do the same. On Tuesday, the two companies announced they will co-create consumer-inspired Adidas Made For (AM4) shoes across the U.S. at cultural events and sport moments throughout the year—including at this Detroit-area location.

The store will offer the new AM4DET, a Speedfactory shoe designed by Detroit native Kayla Donaldson, who was inspired by the city for its design. The shoe is created using Adidas' robotic Speedfactory manufacturing, which is a digital production process that can create limited-edition sneakers with designs sourced from local creators "up to 36 times faster than industry standard production times," according to Foot Locker and Adidas.

The location will also stock a variety of other Detroit-inspired products, like District 81 apparel, Herschel bags and Nike's "Home & Away" collection.

"We're focused on creating immersive brand connections that are authentically tied to the neighborhoods they serve; from the local store staff that we hire to the products and experiences we offer," Frank Bracken, VP and GM of Foot Locker, said in a statement.