Fifth Avenue, New York City, once famous for luxury retailers is now making way for active wear brands. Brands including Asics, Lululemon and Adidas have sizable retail spaces along Fifth Avenue. Adidas opened in late 2016, followed by Asics in late 2017. Lululemon has a 20,000 sq ft space. Nike has opened a six-floor, 68,000 sq ft flagship. Puma has opened a 18,000 sq ft store. With larger spaces come more opportunities to engage customers not only to shop but also feel to like they are living the brand lifestyle. More space allows brands to curate in different ways based on new product releases.

Not only are active wear brands flocking to Fifth Avenue, they’re bringing a new approach to the large stores. They’re paying attention on how to infuse technology into the shopping experience. While former tenants focused on bright window displays meant to draw in shoppers, the new tenants are looking to engage shoppers through tech. Nike’s flagship is packed with technology designed to improve the shopper’s experience. Customers can use the NikePlus app to scan a code on any in-store mannequins to see all the items on that mannequin. From there, the customer can request any of those items to be sent to a fitting room, and check for other colors and sizes in stock. Shoppers can also utilize instant checkout at one of the many stations throughout the store. Using the Nike app, customers scan their items and pay using their phones.