Nike/Niketown Detroit

**Detroitdave** · April-10-13, 08:11 AM

Hi all ! I not sure this has been mention here but .

I have it on pretty good authority that Nike / Nike town is coming to Downtown Detroit !
If this does happen this would be great for Downtown. Even better than , dare I say, than cheesecake factory !

This would be the only store in the state for sure, and destination for the region.

Any thoughts ?

**iheartthed** · April-10-13, 08:14 AM

This [[thread) will be good.

**artds** · April-10-13, 08:14 AM

Oh boy. Here we go again.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-10-13, 08:16 AM

LOL I can remember the last Niketown we had. It was little more than a room in a storefront that sold god-awful looking shoes and clothes that were over priced.

**Bham1982** · April-10-13, 08:21 AM

Nike hasn't built a Niketown in well over a decade. There are only a few Niketowns in the world. Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and one or two others.

Unless Gilbert is paying Nike a bajillion dollars to restart the brand, I say your sources are wrong.

**Detroitdave** · April-10-13, 08:25 AM

That was NEVER a Nike /Niketown store, that was a athlete's foot, they only carried Nike stuff.
This store would be from NIKE the company.
Also to all the pessimist , the SAME thing was said about one Whole Foods ."they will never build a Whole Foods in Detroit what are they crazy" , Well drive by Woodward and Mack and get back at me !
:-)
BTW the lights are on at Whole Foods and the sign is lit up !

WHAT ? a few locations ? uh I don't think so
http://www.nikerepository.com/nike-l...tore-locations
Most of those are outlet stores but SEVERAL are actual stores.
If and it's a big IF, Downtown got a store ,not an outlet, that would be spades !
Stranger things have happen in Downtown Detroit

**iheartthed** · April-10-13, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

LOL I can remember the last Niketown we had. It was little more than a room in a storefront that sold god-awful looking shoes and clothes that were over priced.

Detroit has never had a Niketown.

http://nymag.com/listings/stores/niketown_new_york/

**iheartthed** · April-10-13, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitdave

WHAT ? a few locations ? uh I don't think so
http://www.nikerepository.com/nike-l...tore-locations

There are only five Niketowns in the country [[world?): NYC, LA, SF, Boston and Seattle.

**jaytheory** · April-10-13, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitdave

Hi all ! I not sure this has been mention here but .

I have it on pretty good authority that Nike / Nike town is coming to Downtown Detroit !
If this does happen this would be great for Downtown. Even better than , dare I say, than cheesecake factory !

This would be the only store in the state for sure, and destination for the region.

Any thoughts ?

Good news if true, but we it needs to be next to mossejaw or something, I hope they dont spread it out to much.

Also, what is your source, if you cant tell the name what is the level of in the know of said source.

**Bham1982** · April-10-13, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitdave

Also to all the pessimist , the SAME thing was said about one Whole Foods ."they will never build a Whole Foods in Detroit what are they crazy"

Yeah, but that's before we know we were getting a mini-Whole Foods, and that taxpayers were footing the bill. Whole Foods' business strategy doesn't really contradict the naysayers.

Originally Posted by Detroitdave

WHAT ? a few locations ? uh I don't think so
http://www.nikerepository.com/nike-l...tore-locations

I'm on the official Nike site, and I count five Niketown locations-

NYC
Beverly Hills
San Francisco
Boston
Seattle

http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/sl/find...lay_country=US

**401don** · April-10-13, 08:51 AM

As was mentioned there's a difference between the flagship style Niketown's and the regular Nike stores which you find in malls and outlet locations everywhere. These stores are similar to a Champs. I'm guessing, if true, it will be a regular Nike.

**iheartthed** · April-10-13, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

As was mentioned there's a difference between the flagship style Niketown's and the regular Nike stores which you find in malls and outlet locations everywhere. These stores are similar to a Champs. I'm guessing, if true, it will be a regular Nike.

Yeah, if true, it will very likely be a Nike store. It's still a nice draw to downtown Detroit since there are no Nike retail stores in Michigan either, other than the outlet stores. A Niketown, however, is an entirely different beast. Chicago doesn't even have one...

Shollin · April-10-13, 09:01 AM

What is a Niketown and what makes it different than a regular Nike outlet?

**Cincinnati_Kid** · April-10-13, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Yeah, but that's before we know we were getting a mini-Whole Foods, and that taxpayers were footing the bill. Whole Foods' business strategy doesn't really contradict the naysayers.

I'm on the official Nike site, and I count five Niketown locations-

NYC
Beverly Hills
San Francisco
Boston
Seattle

http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/sl/find...lay_country=US

I thought for sure Chicago had one. I guess not.

**ccal** · April-10-13, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

I thought for sure Chicago had one. I guess not.

They still do

**TexasT** · April-10-13, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

I thought for sure Chicago had one. I guess not.

We had one in Chicago on the Mag Mile.

**JBMcB** · April-10-13, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

I thought for sure Chicago had one. I guess not.

The Chicago Niketown may have been the first, I think. In 2012 it moved down the street a bit and re-opened recently.

**Bham1982** · April-10-13, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Shollin

What is a Niketown and what makes it different than a regular Nike outlet?

It's like a shoe megastore or mini department store. Pretty much all Nike products, in a multilevel, flagship-style setting.

I would say the bigger Niketowns are over 100,000 square feet. A typical shoe store is maybe 1,000 square feet.

**stasu1213** · April-10-13, 10:06 AM

I hope that this is true. Merchants Row was on the decline when Athletes Foot was there. My friend want to see Computer Creek, Dress Barn, or Talbots downtown

**313WX** · April-10-13, 10:36 AM

If it's an actual outlet store, it may do well in a city like Detroit.

Consider that you have a huge market of people [[mainly black people) that they cater to around the store with the hip hop culture and all. These athletic shoe stores are about the only retailers that seem to do modestly well in the city.

But again, they'll need to have a unique selection of [[unique from Footlocker/Finish Line/Mr. Alan's) if they expect folks from the neighborhoods to track all the way down there to shop.

**313WX** · April-10-13, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I hope that this is true. Merchants Row was on the decline when Athletes Foot was there. My friend want to see Computer Creek, Dress Barn, or Talbots downtown

About 10 years ago, there was a Dress Barn on Congress between Griswold and Shelby.

**401don** · April-10-13, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I hope that this is true. Merchants Row was on the decline when Athletes Foot was there. My friend want to see Computer Creek, Dress Barn, or Talbots downtown

yeah the only thing Merchants Row has ever lacked was Merchants.

Shollin · April-10-13, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

If it's an actual outlet store, it may do well in a city like Detroit.

Consider that you have a huge market of people [[mainly black people) that they cater to around the store with the hip hop culture and all. These athletic shoe stores are about the only retailers that seem to do modestly well in the city.

But again, they'll need to have a unique selection of [[unique from Footlocker/Finish Line/Mr. Alan's) if they expect folks from the neighborhoods to track all the way down there to shop.

I always thought an Outlet center like the one in Atlantic City would do well in Detroit. The area between downtown and Midtown where the arena is rumored to be built would be a perfect area.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-10-13, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

It's like a shoe megastore or mini department store. Pretty much all Nike products, in a multilevel, flagship-style setting.

I would say the bigger Niketowns are over 100,000 square feet. A typical shoe store is maybe 1,000 square feet.

I doubt these are 100k in size, but other than that you got it. The one on Michigan in Chicago used to be a Saks, but that was subdivided and part of it became Niketown. It was basically a shrine to Michael Jordan, with lots of 'experiences' such as a basketball court and media.

They do draw a crowd though. Not sure why, but then again I am not a slave to shoes.

Shollin · April-10-13, 10:53 AM

My kids always wanted a pair of Jordan's but I would never let him have them. I'm sorry but I was a fan of the Bad Boys and no child of mine was going to wear anything that had the Jordan or Bulls name. I didn't even wear Hanes underwear.