Nike has opened a running-focused retail concept at Melbourne Central, drawing on the city’s athletics culture to reshape its ground-floor store.
Developed with design studio Space Between, the concept brings together performance running, Nike Sportswear, product innovation and community activations. The store is designed to evolve throughout the year, with rotating displays, product launches and events.
A dedicated Innovation Wall showcases performance technologies and seasonal campaigns, while the flexible store layout allows the retailer to refresh the space around new products and community initiatives.
Nick Atkinson, Nike Pacific’s brand director, said Melbourne’s running community had influenced the concept, particularly the crossover between performance, fashion, creativity and self-expression.
“We wanted to create a space that feels authentically Melbourne while serving the needs of runners at every stage of their journey and look to for regular Nike-only experiences, beginning with a drop-in from Eliud Kipchoge and Jack Rayner over Nike Melbourne Marathon week,” he added.
The store will also host exclusive brand experiences, beginning with appearances by Kenyan marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge and Australian distance runner Jack Rayner during Nike Melbourne Marathon week.
A ‘Nike By You’ experience is also planned ahead of the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival.
- Further reading: ‘Uphill climb’: Why is Nike’s turnaround still struggling?
