The new On Experience Store in the trendy NoHo district in Manhattan.
The Swiss running shoe brand On is opening its first global experience store in the NoHo district in Manhattan today – and wants to set new standards for retail. What it looks like and why it is not in Switzerland.
In the middle of these turbulent times, the Swiss running brand On opens its first store in New York. It is the first global experience store from On, and the latest technology actually raises the shopping experience to a new level: in the store, a 19-meter-long “Magic Wall” analyzes the customers’ walking style in a matter of seconds, and a foot scanner calculates the exact shoe size and suggests the right shoe model for them in front. On the back of the “Magic Wall” customers will find all models in all sizes.
–The “Magic Wall” enables running style analysis directly in the store. (Image: PD)
“Newly thought retail has a future”
The time for a new store to open is surprising in view of the current situation, especially since a new lockdown is being discussed again in New York and the business has shifted even more to online trading. «We believe that newly thought retail has an important future. After all, we’re all currently at home in front of the screen and want more than ever a physical experience, ”says On co-founder David Allemann. “However, we don’t go back to a store for a transaction – we do that more efficiently on the screen – but for an interaction with people and a shopping experience.”
–Shopping should become an experience in the new store. (Image: PD)
The flagship store should actually have opened last June. But during the renovation in the spring, the lockdown was decided and all work stopped. “And then the running boom came and On continued to grow unchecked. That is why we decided that we would also like to give something back to the On Community in New York and we made progress with the opening as quickly as possible, ”says Allemann.
Swissness despite a global brand
The new flagship store opens in the trendy NoHo district in Manhattan. Why New York in particular and not a Swiss location for the first Experience Store? “The On community has grown to over 12 million people and runners in recent years. Around half of them are in the USA with a very committed community in New York City, ”comments Allemann. In addition, New York as a global metropolis also has an incomparable radiance for a global brand that has meanwhile become On. “And we can keep a few surprises up our sleeves for our home market.”
–The replica of the Engadine rock is intended to remind of On’s Swiss roots. (Image: PD)
And Swissness is not neglected in the New York store either: a true-to-original replica of an Engadine rock from the 3-D printer is reminiscent of the brand’s roots, and in the changing rooms, customers are enveloped in alpine scents and sounds from the Swiss Alps.
Depending on the current situation, virtual shop visits are also possible for New Yorkers, where customers are guided through the shop by employees and can choose products that are delivered to them within four hours to try on and then bought or returned.
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