Dive Brief:
- Adidas is opening its first full-price brand concept store in Minnesota this October, according to a Monday press release.
- Located at Mall of America, the 9,161-square-foot space will offer a merchandise mix edited for regional customers. That will include a shop dedicated to Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, which is designed to help Adidas establish a “connection to the local basketball culture and community,” per the release.
- The store is part of Adidas’ new concept fleet and will feature both Adidas Originals and Badge of Sport collections, as well as an enhanced Made For You experience at the center of the space, which will allow customers to personalize and customize their products
Dive Insight:
Adidas is beefing up its presence in North America with stores that are customized to appeal to consumers shopping in their home markets. In April, the company reported a first quarter revenue increase of 7% year over year to 6.6 billion euros ($7.7 billion at press time), with North America revenue up 1%. However, Adidas still trails Nike by a significant margin.
Its new Mall of America location is an opportunity for Adidas to deepen its U.S. connections and make good on its intention to “be more American,” as CEO Bjørn Gulden said on a 2024 call with analysts. At the time, he said that “to be successful in America… [y]ou have to be in the American sports.”
To that end, Adidas made former WNBA player Candace Parker the president of its women’s basketball division and extended its multimillion-dollar contract with Edwards.
Now, Adidas is bringing the full weight of its brand to Edwards’ doorstep. The Minnesota store will be centered around “four immersive retail zones,” including footwear, Made For You, City Shop and a storefront experience with integrated digital touchpoints.
This summer, the athleticwear company showed off its soccer roots when it partnered with Nordstrom to launch 35 installations across the U.S. in celebration of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Adidas also opened a limited-time curated shop-in-shop at Nordstrom’s downtown Seattle location, and featured collections at 33 Nordstrom stores that hosted World Cup matches.
