VEGAS INC Coverage
Las Vegas will be home to Nike’s newest store concept starting Thursday.
The revamped Niketown at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace will be expanded by 50 percent from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet and be renamed Nike Las Vegas.
Map of Forum Shops
The store will feature shoes and other product lines that have been popular in the Las Vegas market and introduce team-customization services, said Tim Hershey, vice president and general manager of North America direct to consumer for Nike Retail.
Customers will be able to purchase custom footwear, apparel and equipment for any athletic team they play on, he said.
“It’s not just about picking the colors but the materials and the technology,” Hershey said. “They can build a shoe or a shirt and team kit on their terms.”
The store also gives consumers the ability to buy customized shoes because feet sizes vary, Hershey said.
The store will also feature new runners’ services, one of which is technology that allows runners through an iPod to track their distance, pace and calories. Runners can also test shoes on a treadmill before deciding whether to buy.
Nike opened at the Forum Shops in 1997 and has two outlet stores in Las Vegas. Those stores focus on value compared with Niketown, which offers the latest products at full price, he said.
The other new-concept Nike stores are in Santa Monica, Calif., Scottsdale, Ariz., Mall of America in Minnesota and Roosevelt Field in New York.
This is the first Niketown across the country to be remodeled into the new concept, he said.
“Las Vegas has always been an important marketplace for us,” Hershey said. “It’s a sports-crazy town and 24-7 town, and we have a local partnership with UNLV. We have not thrown a lot of money at our store since 1997, and we thought it was time to revisit it.”
Nike said it expects to have active and retired professional athletes at the revamped store Thursday through the weekend, including professional football players. Their names haven’t been announced.