Nike Reveals New AR Features at NYC Concept Store

Need to Know

• Nike has launched an interactive AR challenge at its NYC House of Innovation.
• The challenge celebrates the launch of a new collection, by bringing the outdoors in by scanning QR codes with their phones to reveal AR animated wildlife and product information.
• After launching a number of innovative digital-first initiatives and three concept stores, the iconic athletics brand is just “scratching the surface” with what is possible in retail.

Analysis

Athletics retailer Nike has launched an innovative new AR challenge at its “House of Innovation” location in New York City—and is bringing the outdoors in. The digital “discovery center” is launching in celebration of Nike’s new All Conditions Gear (ACG) HO20 collection. 

Utilizing augmented reality technology from Hovercraft, Nike shoppers can use their mobile phones to learn more about Nike products and interact with animated wildlife. 

By walking through an interactive geozone with a digital checklist, shoppers can track their progress through a series of AR challenges. By using their phones to scan QR codes located on the floor as they move throughout the space, shoppers will reveal animated figures and product information. Upon completion, they are rewarded with “a physical gift brought to them by a masked store associate and a digital AR model of the Nike “ACG Hiker” mascot they can keep on their phone.”

Since the onset of the pandemic, the iconic athletics brand has been leaning on tech to engage customers in new ways. These innovations include the use of holograms to allow customers to virtually try-on Nike items from home and partnering with Foot Locker to launch an interactive fan hub on Google Slides. 

Nike has also leaned on the evolution of its concept stores, launching the House of Innovation in NYC, a Nike Rise store in Guangzhou, China, and its first flagship store in Paris, also dubbed a “House of Innovation.” 

These in-store locations provide immersive, digitally-powered shopping experiences such as Nike Scan to Learn, Nike Scan to Try, and Nike Shop the Look. Shoppers can also buy online and pickup in-store. 

Since the pandemic took the retail world by storm in early 2020, Nike has seen massive growth in online sales, resulting in an 84% increase in digital revenue. Total revenue for 2020’s second quarter topped $11 billion. 

“Digital is now woven into everything we do as a company,” Nike CEO John Donahoe said at the time. “It’s how we operate and prioritize, from how we engage with members, to how we operate our supply chain, to how we serve consumers in the marketplace.”

And after reporting 200% growth for its Nike Commerce App in September, Donahoe added, “I truly believe that Nike is just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”