Adidas opens a flagship store in Barcelona
23-11-2022
Adidas has opened its new flagship store in Barcelona in October 2022. The location is privileged, Paseo de Gracia, and the building that houses it is a recently restored jewel of Catalan modernism.
The 2,200 m2 store is the brand's largest in Spain. It has two floors where the brand's most special collections are displayed: adidas by Stella McCartney, Y-3, Originals, Terrex, Running, Training, Sportwear, Soccer and Kids.
Facilitating and open to discovery
The product is grouped by collections and each group has a specific and differential staging; that is, each collection has its own "store in the store". This helps to differentiate the assortment and guide the visitor, while inviting them to discover spaces and products, encouraging research.
In addition to the "commercial" spaces, the store has several corners that we can consider "third space". Each of them also with a different decoration and comfortable seats to sit, sockets to charge the cell phone or a decoration so striking that many will not resist to post their photo on Instagram. One of these corners even features a foosball table.
Interactive experience
As an innovative process, in the footwear display areas there are signs inviting the visitor to scan a QR code, the sports model and the size they need. According to the sign, the staff will bring the requested footwear "while you continue shopping".
There are also touch screens to access the brand's complete catalog.
The store, or rather the huge presence of QR codes in the magnificent communication, continuously invites you to scan and discover more: the loyalty program, the adidas app, the product storytelling...
Garment customization is offered in the "Print Shop" space, following current trends in product customization.
The "local" takes center stage
On a visual level, what is most striking is the number of nods to Barcelona throughout the store: water fountains covered with the traditional hydraulic mosaic or with an interpretation of the famous sidewalk tiles of Paseo de Gracia, trencadís columns -a handcrafted method widely used in architecture by Gaudí-, lamps that reproduce the icons of the city's sidewalks, etc. Adidas has gone to great lengths to design a store that shows its admiration for Barcelona and is instructive, showcasing aspects of local architecture, art and culture.
Double visit: store and virtual museum
In addition, the connection to local culture is also enhanced by the collaborations made with local artists, who bring a unique experience to visit the space. As if it were a virtual museum, there are plaques throughout the store where scanning the QR code provides access to artwork created by the artist before the store opened that no longer exists.
We also saw during the visit a DJ table and know that local musician Morad (with whom they have also collaborated with a T-shirt) performed at the opening; we anticipate that cultural promotion and collaboration with local artists will continue at the store.
Our opinion
The spaces for the more exclusive collections look like boutiques; even the space for fans of soccer teams dressed by adidas. The store seems to focus on footwear and (sports) fashion rather than sports or athletes, thus opening up to a wider target audience.
In short, the adidas flagship store is "for everyone" and deserves to be visited: it is a very visually original retail space and it is also a space of enjoyment that offers several interactive and unique experiences.
The 2,200 m2 store is the brand's largest in Spain. It has two floors where the brand's most special collections are displayed: adidas by Stella McCartney, Y-3, Originals, Terrex, Running, Training, Sportwear, Soccer and Kids.
Facilitating and open to discovery
The product is grouped by collections and each group has a specific and differential staging; that is, each collection has its own "store in the store". This helps to differentiate the assortment and guide the visitor, while inviting them to discover spaces and products, encouraging research.
In addition to the "commercial" spaces, the store has several corners that we can consider "third space". Each of them also with a different decoration and comfortable seats to sit, sockets to charge the cell phone or a decoration so striking that many will not resist to post their photo on Instagram. One of these corners even features a foosball table.
Interactive experience
As an innovative process, in the footwear display areas there are signs inviting the visitor to scan a QR code, the sports model and the size they need. According to the sign, the staff will bring the requested footwear "while you continue shopping".
There are also touch screens to access the brand's complete catalog.
The store, or rather the huge presence of QR codes in the magnificent communication, continuously invites you to scan and discover more: the loyalty program, the adidas app, the product storytelling...
Garment customization is offered in the "Print Shop" space, following current trends in product customization.
The "local" takes center stage
On a visual level, what is most striking is the number of nods to Barcelona throughout the store: water fountains covered with the traditional hydraulic mosaic or with an interpretation of the famous sidewalk tiles of Paseo de Gracia, trencadís columns -a handcrafted method widely used in architecture by Gaudí-, lamps that reproduce the icons of the city's sidewalks, etc. Adidas has gone to great lengths to design a store that shows its admiration for Barcelona and is instructive, showcasing aspects of local architecture, art and culture.
Double visit: store and virtual museum
In addition, the connection to local culture is also enhanced by the collaborations made with local artists, who bring a unique experience to visit the space. As if it were a virtual museum, there are plaques throughout the store where scanning the QR code provides access to artwork created by the artist before the store opened that no longer exists.
We also saw during the visit a DJ table and know that local musician Morad (with whom they have also collaborated with a T-shirt) performed at the opening; we anticipate that cultural promotion and collaboration with local artists will continue at the store.
Our opinion
The spaces for the more exclusive collections look like boutiques; even the space for fans of soccer teams dressed by adidas. The store seems to focus on footwear and (sports) fashion rather than sports or athletes, thus opening up to a wider target audience.
The "hyper-localization" of the space is a very successful resource, both to offer a unique store to tourists and give them reasons to visit and buy, and to get emotionally close to the local population -intelligent, since adidas dresses Real Madrid and the Spanish national soccer team, loved by half of the population of Catalonia, but ignored by the other half.
In short, the adidas flagship store is "for everyone" and deserves to be visited: it is a very visually original retail space and it is also a space of enjoyment that offers several interactive and unique experiences.