Nike Live opens first Bay Area store

SAN JOSE >> Nike Live has launched its first Bay Area store at San Jose’s Santana Row, a new concept that blurs the line between the physical and the digital.

The new Nike store will rotate merchandise every three weeks and curate it to the specific tastes of local customers, as well as create ways to seamlessly blend the use of the Nike app with the offerings in the physical store.

“With the opening of Nike by Santana Row, we’re excited to expand our Nike Live retail concept into another new market as we continue to scale Nike Live stores across North America and the globe,” said Nicole Otto, vice president of Nike Direct North America.

Experts have called the Nike Live concept a “brickand-mortar app.”

Nike itself describes each Nike Live store as “a one-of-a-kind, digitally-enabled space,” according to a blog posted on the Nike site in October 2019.

Customers appear to have embraced the new Nike Live store, which opened on May 13 at Santana Row.

“I heard from the team on the ground the line was around the block,” said Stephanie Pellitteri, a Nike spokesperson.

The new store is the first in the Bay Area for Nike Live and is called Nike by Santana Row.

“Located in the vibrant Santana Row shopping district in San Jose, the new Nike by Santana Row has an open and airy design concept that takes learnings from our other Nike Live stores,” Nike said in a statement sent to this news organization.

One of the unusual features in the new store is an “unlock box” that offers new items for Nike members. The unlock box is an in-store digital vending machine.

“A member can use their member pass in the Nike App to redeem free products and gifts, such as Nike By Santana Row custom pins and Nike notebooks,” Nike said.

Items in the unlock box are available on a firstcome-first-served basis while supplies last.

Customers also can employ the Nike App to get a head start on in-store shopping by selecting items before heading over to the physical location.

“You can pick up your order curbside, and our team will bring it to your vehicle with minimal contact,” Nike said.

Nike said it’s attempting to provide a personalized experience that’s unique to the San Jose area.

“We cannot wait to welcome consumers into this new space where a team of local experts has curated an experience with the best of Nike’s products, innovations and seamless services that we know our Silicon Valley consumers will love,” Otto said.