Foot Locker introduces new store concept with Nike

Specialty athletic retailer Foot Locker Inc. and long-time partner Nike Inc. have partnered to roll out a new store concept, with bigger stores and interactive features brought by Nike's proprietary technology.

The newest Power Store, far bigger than typical Foot Locker stores, opened on August 10, in Washington Heights, New York. The store features an activation space on the second floor. Foot Locker has already opened Power Stores in Detroit and Philadelphia.

The 9,000 square-foot store is the first among its stores to feature Nike App at Retail digital technology, offering services in-store through the Nike App. The store will also be the first brick-and-mortar store of another retailer to feature Nike's proprietary digital technology.

The Nike App at Retail will provide customers personalized content and exclusive access to products. Customers will be able to use services like Nike Scan to check inventory and reserve products online as well as pickup in-store.

The Washington Heights Power Store also features a NikePlus "Unlock Box" and a NikePlus "Shoecase."

The "Unlock Box" will serve as a vending machine that will Nike app members to unlock free limited-edition items, while the first-of-its-kind "Shoecase" will provide early access to sneaker releases.

The new store concept may attract more customers to its stores amid falling foot traffic in shopping malls and growing competition from online retailers. It will also enable Nike, Foot Locker's biggest brand partner, to expand its business to areas where it does not currently have stores.

Outside the U.S., Foot Locker currently operates Power Stores in London, Liverpool and Hong Kong.

The company expects to open more than a dozen new Power Store locations across its family of brands in 2019. Upcoming stores include in Los Angeles in the U.S., and Vancouver in Canada.(dpa)