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Nike And Foot Locker Collab On A Community-Driven Store
Courtesy of Foot Locker
Foot Locker and Nike teamed up to remake Foot Locker’s location in LA’s Crenshaw neighborhood into a community-centric concept store called “The Crenshaw Rec.”
Why It Hits: Modern America is lacking in “third spaces” — places where people can casually meet up and socialize. Not only is the new Foot Locker store one of those spaces, but its community buy-in ensures that people will be motivated to come, hang out, and, of course, buy some products.
Between The Shelves: The Crenshaw Rec — which was made in collaboration with local talent like Supervsn designer Gavin Mathieu and the estate of the late, Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle — is opening August 22.
The Foot Locker location will “be home to exclusive releases from Nike-owned brands and drops from local labels such as The Marathon Clothing brand,” per Business of Fashion.
Beyond the retail space, the store will “include an open gym, an equipment room, and a center hosting year-round programming for locals, including educational workshops, music academies, and run clubs.”
A section of the store will also be set aside to host pop-ups for local entrepreneurs and other small businesses.
The store is making a concerted effort to hire Crenshaw residents as employees to ensure the spirit of the venture stays true.
Final Purchase: The Crenshaw Rec is part of a new turnaround strategy for Foot Locker called “Fast Break,” which was implemented by the company’s new owner, DICK’S Sporting Goods. Its focus is on “tighter curation, improved storytelling, and the reintroduction of apparel into underperforming locations.” DICK’S chairman Edward Stack shared on an earnings call this May that Fast Break stores that had been in operation for at least a year saw their sales grow by double digits.
It’s amazing what can happen when a community feels a little ownership of the chains in its neighborhood.
The Future: The Crenshaw Rec could be ground zero for breaking some new LA designers… designers that Foot Locker and Nike could get on their radar early in their careers.
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