London, October 2016. New Balance, the global athletic footwear and apparel brand, has announced the opening of the company’s European flagship store in Oxford Street, one of the world’s busiest and best-known shopping destinations.
Located at 287-291 Oxford Street, close to the central landmark of Oxford Circus, and covering 12,572.25 sq. ft., the store represents the largest of New Balance’s retail portfolio and sets a seal on the company’s global retail ambitions.
The brand’s full range of products, displayed over three floors, include running, and football. Also highlighted are New Balance’s distinguished and popular lifestyle ranges, women’s technical training and studio products, and children’s footwear.
Large digital screens, featuring Team NB athletes, surround the store to add a sense of dramatic movement.
New Balance has joined with Swedish company Volumental to introduce a state of the art 3D foot scanner solution in the London store that captures foot size in seconds and helps determine the best fitting New Balance footwear. Once scanned, customers may access their 3D data online and it is integrated into the New Balance’s gait analysis app Stride ID.
The store’s strong, stylish and distinctive décor of steel and polished concrete is sympathetically and imaginatively punctuated, on each floor, by recycled pieces of bespoke artwork, created by London eco-artist Osian Batkya-Williams, that depict iconic London scenes and mirror New Balance’s manufacturing heritage.
Fran Allen, Vice President New Balance EMEA region, said: “Our European flagship store, in London’s internationally celebrated West End, testifies to the spirit of our company’s ambition and vision.”
Fran continued: “It is a magnificent showpiece that illuminates the brand’s illustrious story through its highly-prized craftsmanship, advanced technical innovation and enduring performance.”
The London flagship store is set against a global backdrop of continued and sustainable progress as New Balance pursues the company’s mission to be amongst the top three sporting brands in the world. The brand’s first Global Flagship stores opened this year in Gangnam, South Korea, Boston, and Tokyo, with Milan and San Francisco opening this fall.
