Adidas Originals: Meeting point at Münzstraße

The newly developed store concept called The Collection is inspired by the legendary Adidas archive in Herzogenaurach. “We keep coming back to this archive. And we wanted to capture that, ”says Nic Galway, Senior Vice President Design at Adidas. When developing the concept, it was not initially about store design, but about the design of places to present the brand – for example at the Paris Fashion Week.

Store of the day autumn 2020: Adidas Originals in Berlin

The concept that has now been implemented in the Berlin store is characterized by a very high degree of flexibility in terms of design, which is made possible primarily by mobile archive shelves. This flexibility is due to the function of this new store: “This store is much more than a place where we just sell our products,” says Victoria Schneyer, Director Retail Concepts. “We have created a meeting point here.” The flagship store is intended to be the point of contact for sneaker and lifestyle fans, but also for local artists, designers and creative people.

Meeting point for the community

Berlin artists such as Monja Gentschow, Nadine Göpfert, ACTE TM, Julia Schoierer aka Sneakerqueen, Sebastian Haslauer and the Madwomen Collective contributed to the design of the shop. Workshops, talks and other events together with local creatives should make the shop their meeting place in the future too. Artists and designers have the opportunity to present their ideas in the form of curated exhibitions and installations in the store. The products offered should also reflect this local relevance: In addition to sneakers and apparel that are created with world stars such as Beyoncé, Kanye West or Pharrell Williams, there should also be products with a Berlin connection.

Sustainability, mixed-gender merchandise and app services

Sustainability is a key component of the new concept that was also taken into account by the artists. Recycled flooring, old furniture and other upcycling elements are used. A special sustainability area in the store is to illustrate the efforts of Adidas in the fight against plastic waste.

The merchandising is deliberately not segregated by gender. The aim is to address a broad and diverse community. In addition, of course, the integration of digital elements also plays a central role. In addition to projections and screens for seamless storytelling, the Adidas app user is also picked up with various additional functions. For example, they can use the app to check product availability in the store or request a product in the appropriate size via the in-store mode. A digital mirror in the changing room area informs customers about all upcoming launches and offers access to the shop’s playlist.

“Our goal is to be in constant contact with our consumers,” says Adidas Germany Managing Director Paul Boerboom. “The networking of stationary and digital shopping experiences is more important than ever for our target group. With our new store concept, we not only offer the best products from Adidas Originals, but also a platform for exchange and creativity right in the heart of Berlin. For us, Berlin still has a special status – like no other city in Germany, it is an authentic center for creativity, diversity and inspiration. “