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luglio 02, 2016 - New Balance

New balance opens first u.s. global flagship store in boston landing

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NEW BALANCE OPENS FIRST U.S. GLOBAL FLAGSHIP STORE IN BOSTON LANDING

New Format Celebrates the Brand’s 110-Year Heritage and Distinction as Domestic Manufacturer


BOSTON, June 24, 2016 – #newbalance announces today the opening of its first U.S. Global Flagship Store at Boston Landing, a new retail experience rooted in performance, innovation and telling the #newbalance story. The 6,566 sq. ft. store located at 140 Guest St. in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood offers a unique consumer journey within an immersive and interactive brand experience, including the Made.Boston demonstration and shoe assembly area. The store employs 20 associates, including three Shoe Ambassadors to host the Made.Boston area and provide tours.


Entering the store, consumers are surrounded by a large #running impact display, communicating the brand’s authentic #running heritage and showcasing premium head-to-toe performance #running looks for men and women. Digital screens, including two large, curved screens descending from the ceiling, feature dynamic visuals of elite Team NB athletes such as Trayvon Bromell and Emma Coburn, as well as images and videos that inspire and convey movement. Other areas in the store feature women’s training and studio products, baseball, tennis, and soccer footwear and apparel, lifestyle footwear and apparel, and kids’ footwear


“We are excited to open this store in Boston Landing that pays tribute to our heritage and spirit, celebrates our innovation and sets a new precedent for the high standard of retail excellence we have established with our #newbalance Experience Stores in Boston, New York, and Beijing among others.” said Rob DeMartini, President and CEO of #newbalance. “This store invites residents and visitors to our home city to engage with our brand’s story and the passion of our associates."


Anchoring the store at its center is the Made.Boston demonstration and shoe assembly area, where consumers have a front row seat as limited edition 574’s are made right before their eyes, showcasing the company’s commitment to domestic manufacturing. Shoes will go through the final steps in the assembly process within a cylindrical, glass-walled room, as Shoe Ambassadors describe the process and answer visitors’ questions in a theatrical spin on the typical manufacturing process. The shoe’s uppers, which are assembled and sewn in New Balance’s Lawrence factory, are steamed, adhered to the soles, cleaned up and boxed for consumers to purchase and take home that day. Shoes are made to order based on size, and consumers have three colorways to choose from, each inspired by the brand’s heritage in #running as well as the flagship store itself and the #newbalance global headquarters at Boston Landing.


The store’s #design features natural and industrial materials throughout such as wood, concrete and metal, which provide a neutral backdrop that allows the products to stand out. As a nod to New Balance’s history of manufacturing in New England, the wall behind the cash wrap is made of metal fire doors from the Skowhegan, Maine factory where some of the brand’s Made In USA footwear is produced. Each global flagship store, five of which are slated to open this year, features a unique cash wrap display designed to pay homage to that city’s culture. The brand’s first Global Flagship store opened this spring in Gangnam, South Korea, with San Francisco, London, Milan and Tokyo opening later this year.


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“This store represents a huge shift for #newbalance, and a real transformation of the retail experience for our consumers,” said Mark Johnson, Global Director of Visual Merchandising for #newbalance. “We have created a space that allows for deeper engagement with consumers and athletes to facilitate clear, consistent storytelling that will truly elevate the energy and momentum behind our brand.”


Additional features within the store include:

·         NB1 Customization Bars, where consumers use iPads to #design their own NB1 custom 574, 998, or 990v3 shoes, which are made in Lawrence and shipped directly to the consumer. Color and material swatches as well as shoe samples are displayed for consumers to interact with as they go through the #design process.

·         Strava NB Run Club live feed, a digital screen displaying the recent activities of members of the NB Run Club Global Flagship group, which meets at the store for group runs three times a week. The club will kick off on Thursday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m. with a special event featuring gift cards for the first 20 attendees, raffles for free shoes, and food and refreshments. Regular group runs will take place each week on Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m., Thursdays at 5:30 p.m., and Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Visit strava.com/clubs/NBRCGlobalFlagship  for more information and to sign up for the run club.


To celebrate the opening of the store and highlight the company’s long-time commitment to its local community, on Wednesday, June 22, Team NB athletes Brock Holt and Christian Vazquez visited the store for a private event with five children from the West End House Boys and Girls Club in Allston. The athletes helped the children pick out and try on new shoes, answered questions, and took photos. The #newbalance Foundation supports the West End House through associate volunteerism and grants, including a $3 million grant given to the organization to commemorate the #newbalance World Headquarters grand opening in September 2015.


Regular store hours will be Monday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. Please visit facebook.com/NewBalanceGlobalFlagship for more information.


Boston Landing is a 15-acre parcel in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood of Boston that is being developed by NB Development Group, LLC. The #newbalance World Headquarters, at 100 Guest St., is home to approximately 500 #newbalance associates.



About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. #newbalance is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. #newbalance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. #newbalance employs more than 5,000 associates around the globe, and in 2015 reported worldwide sales of $3.72 billion. To learn more about #newbalance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com. Keep up-to-date with all of the latest #newbalance news on Twitter @NewBalance and #newbalance on Facebook.