Sports gear brand Under Armour has opened its flashiest store to date on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, one of the city’s most exclusive shopping areas.
The store, which the company is calling its Chicago Brand House, is located at 600 N. Michigan Ave. and carries a variety of men’s, women’s and youth’s apparel and footwear, as well as some sports equipment.
“Opening a Brand House on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile allows us to establish Under Armour’s presence in one of the most vibrant and iconic shopping destinations around the globe,” Susie McCabe, senior vice president of global retail, said in a news release ahead of the March 6 opening. “The Under Armour Chicago Brand House will be our largest retail location in the world, highlighting our commitment to innovation while providing consumers with an elevated experience when shopping for apparel and footwear, as well as digital devices and wearables.”
This is the first store that will contain a “wearables bar,” highlighting products in the Under Armour Connected Fitness line.
The store is focused as much on customer experience as on products, however. The entrance features a grand rotunda with numerous digital displays, and a Jumbotron made up of 13 million LEDs has an impressive impact. Some areas are designed both for looks and for function, such as the turf installed in the shoe department so that athletes can feel how their shoes might perform under real playing conditions.
The store also features a number of community-specific products, such as T-shirts bearing the names of nearby neighborhoods and apparel featuring Northwestern University and University of Notre Dame branding.
Under Armour is a relatively young company, having been in business only 19 years. It has risen largely due to its strategy of getting young shoppers involved with the brand, either as athletes or as fans, and then retaining them as they grow into adulthood. Studies have shown that 61% of consumers say they prefer to buy from a brand offering custom products and content, something at which Under Armour excels.
This is the fourth Brand House for the company. The other three are located in Baltimore, MD, the company’s hometown; Tyson’s Corner in McLean, VA; and the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.
