Vancouver will be joining the likes of Seoul (South Korea), Durban (South Africa), and Hamburg (Germany) soon.
Adidas is planning to turn its newly acquired storefront at Robson and Burrard into North America's first "Home of Sport," a futuristic store in the historic space, which has been a public library, a Virgin Megastore and a Victoria's Secret.
"The space is being completely transformed and stripped down to its original design or what remains of it. There will be quiet nods to its past throughout and even small relics of the original design which were demolished by the building’s previous tenants," Adidas' vice-president of retail for Canada Lesley Hawkins tells V.I.A. in an email.
Hawkins describes the Home of Sport concept as "our most versatile and flexible concept to date," featuring digital tools and special access for members of the company's adiClub.
"It makes it easy for the consumer to interact with and navigate our product assortment. The concept is flexible to meet the needs of all consumer types and creates a service-centric environment," she writes.
What makes this store so different?
The new store will go beyond a normal shop in a few ways. The space won't just be for shopping, with special guests, running clubs and community partners all involved as well. Designed to be modular, Adidas will be able to run events out of it as well.
For those who take running seriously, there will also be a "Run Lab."
"Customers can expect to experience the Run Lab which uses an advanced biometric running analysis to help consumers find the right fit," notes Hawkins.
Customization options will also be available via the Made For You feature; there will be VIP rooms for adiClub members, as well.
"Our Made For You customization space provides consumers with the opportunity to customize a breadth of products with locally inspired graphics," writes Hawkins.
The German sportswear company is aiming for a December opening of the 35,000-square-foot space, which will be the largest Adidas in Canada.
