Nike opened a four-story House of Innovation just off People’s Square not long ago. I went the other day. Standing outside, I could already feel a Ministry of Sportswear Magic vibe. Entering, I expected to see LeBron James suddenly emerge out of a fireplace in a puff of green flame. The company is making so much money they can now build shops where you no longer feel like you are shopping, but have instead teleported into a wizard's athletics shop.
At 41,000+ square feet, Nike’s House of Innovation is not the kind of place you pop into for socks. Those who come (and there are a lot) are here for the unique features, like the first-floor clothing line with products exclusive to Shanghai, and the Nike By You customization floor. The latter is a complete lesson in shoe magic, where a flick of the wand changes everything from your laces to embroidery to even more new laces.
With the House of Innovation Shanghai 001 (and the more recently-opened New York 000 store), Nike is questioning the malleable framework of what a shop can be. Fair enough. Modern companies need originality in their stores to keep people interested, and just a little bit of magic to keep them coming back.
Nike House of Innovation, 829 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Xizang Lu.
