Nike, Foot Locker Open Harlem Store
Nike and Foot Locker teamed up to pump up Nike products with the launch of a new basketball store dubbed House of Hoops in Harlem yesterday.
The 4,000-square-foot New York City basketball marketing mecca is the first of 50 such locations the two retailers plan to open around the country. Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and Las Vegas are among the other markets where stores will open over the next three years.
“With the history of basketball in Harlem, it was a great place to start,” Nike spokesman Alan Marks said.
It’s also good timing as the companies staged the grand opening to coincide with the unofficial tip-off of the holiday shopping frenzy later this week. Former NBA standout and current TV commentator Charles Barkley was slated to make an appearance at yesterday’s opening, which included “community-focused” events, Marks said.
The House of Hoops flagship store features Nike, Jordan brand and Converse products exclusively, including court shoes customized to replicate the same personalized models worn by NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd. An area called the Scorer’s Table offers customized t-shirts, and a ticker that will post real-time local high school basketball scores along with other basketball news.
The store is designed to encourage browsing in a relaxed atmosphere that also features a VIP area where shoppers can watch Nike commercials and player interviews on a 65-inch TV screen or read sports magazines while lounging in leather chairs.
The stores are aimed at extending a store-within-a-store concept showcasing Nike basketball products in Foot Locker locations. The new chain will be a combination of new and existing Foot Locker locations.
