Nike is opening a stand-alone Jordan concept on Friday in Milan, according to details emailed to Retail Dive. The company has Jordan-branded stores in Manila, Philippines and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but the Milan store will be the first location of the new concept, a Jordan Brand spokesperson said.
Dubbed “World of Flight,” Nike said the store is the “future of Jordan retail – a destination to celebrate the legacy and future of Basketball culture.”
In March this year, Nike said it would begin testing Jordan-branded stores in North America in fiscal 2023 (the company reported its first quarter of fiscal 2023 in August). However, the first stand-alone of the new concept is opening in Milan. Asked about plans for more locations, a spokesperson said the company was focused on Milan but was excited about the possibility of opening in other cities.
The World of Flight location in Milan is 6,000 square feet, and Nike describes the format as a “pinnacle retail concept” for the Jordan brand.
“It will be at the forefront of streetwear and basketball culture, inspiring deeper consumer connections and a platform to demonstrate the universal language of the Jumpman,” the company said.
Opening Jordan-specific locations is just one step in a broader direct-to-consumer strategy for Nike, which includes investments in a series of store concepts.
The retailer opened its first North American Nike Rise format in November, a concept that also has locations in London and Seoul, South Korea. At the time, Nike said the store opening “signals the next stage of our retail expansion in North America.” In addition to Rise, Nike debuted its Nike Style format this year in Seoul. That format emphasized gender-agnostic merchandise and also featured a content studio.
