14 DAY TRIAL // Finish Line Ltd has announced it will reopen today "as a national flagship store touting a collaboration with Nike and Apple," The Arizona Republic posts. The store sells athletic footwear, apparel and accessories at Chandler Fashion Center. Glenn Lyon, president of the Indianapolis-based store, claims they're only testing the possibility of expanding their collaboration with Apple and Nike over Nike+ iPod gear.
The store, as you can imagine, will focus on selling Nike+ equipment based on Apple's technology, that uses a chip mounted in a running shoe which records a runner's time, pace, distance and calories burned. By inserting the Nike+ sensor into the Air Zoom Moire shoe pocket (or any other Nike+ ready shoe) and by plugging in their iPods, users (along with their personal trainers) are able to track workouts on cardio equipment. The workout data is converted to "CardioMiles," so users can track how much they've used the cardio equipment. Also, users can set goals and participate in challenges using the device and the Nikeplus.com service.
Apple has recently filed a patent, published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, that reveals additional Nike+ gear functionality, such as EKG, heart-rate, body temperature and even hydration.
"The store is something we have called the store of the future," said Glenn Lyon, president of Indianapolis-based Finish Line. "It brings all kinds of new things into our store... that relate to the 17-year-old athlete, who is the core focus of this business." He added, though, that "this is purely a concept store," and that they are "testing it" before making "a decision or announcement about other stores."
The aforementioned source goes on to note that the Chandler store is the only Finish Line store currently collaborating with Nike and Apple, but also the only place outside of Nike stores that sells the complete Nike+ based products.
The opening will be promoted with a public run around the mall (May 18) with two vans (called Nike+ Mobile Trucks) driving around the area and to school practices. The store is sponsoring a competition in playing Harmonix' popular music game, Rock Band, at the mall. Finals will also be held at the May 18 run.
Some of the other 30 brands carried by Finish Line Ltd will also be picking up on the Nike+ technology, the same report reveals. "We're hoping to use the store as a laboratory and find out if the 16- or 17-year-old kid is energized by this new shopping experience," said Craig Cheek, vice president of Nike's U.S. region, who says that high-school students have been hired and trained at the Chandler store to help customers use Nike+ equipment. "You could come in and test run a Nike product, find a local running route and get completely hooked up on Nike+," Cheek said.