Aaron Kr. 
You could probably push the debate either way “Which is closer…Shanghai to Hong Kong, or New Balance to Nike.” The cities are 500 miles apart and those two brands are polar opposites in terms of their marketing, but the answer is actually “They’re the same.” At least in a manner of speaking, now that the new NIKEiD studio is open at Nike Hong Kong and so is the expansive New Balance Experience store in Shanghai. Covering more than 200 square meters, this massive store matches old world workmanlike decor with the hottest from the brand-without-endorsees. The setup makes total sense when you consider that NB is headquartered in Boston, so be sure to check out their new Shanghai setup.
NEW BALANCE EXPERIENCE STORE – SHANGHAI
New Balance, one of the world’s leading running brands, announces the opening of its first Experience Store on Shanghai’s Huai Hai Road. It is New Balance’s second Experience Store in China, following the opening of its first on Beijing’s Qianmen Avenue last year. Senior executives from the company, including Regional General Manager, Asia Pacific, Darren Tucker, and China Managing Director, Michael Wellman, attended the grand opening to witness this exciting event. “Our goal is to produce the best quality and most comfortable running shoes for our consumers,” explains Darren Tucker, Regional General Manager, and Asia Pacific. Proudly expressing the business philosophy of New Balance, the century-old American sporting brand, he continued, “New Balance sets a new standard of retail excellence within the global marketplace to celebrate our innovation and pay tribute to our heritage. We hope that consumers will engage with our rich brand story that is 104 years in the making.”
Experience the Rich Heritage
Occupying more than 200 square meters, the New Balance Experience Store is located on the first floor of the Novel Building, Shanghai. With its charming brick walls, wooden display windows, nostalgic old telephones and iron chandeliers, the interior décor creates a sense of subtlety, which captures the legacy and essence of New Balance. The store feels both classic and modern, perfectly encapsulating the brand’s heritage and innovation. The Experience Store is designed such that a panoramic view of the ceiling unfurls the brand’s past, present and future, telling Shanghai the magnificent story of New Balance’s one hundred and four year history in making shoes.
Rooted in China, Promoting a Running Culture
In addition to this new store in Shanghai, New Balance will soon open ten more experience stores in major cities across China. China Managing Director Michael Wellman explains that New Balance thinks very highly of the Chinese market, “New Balance has been working to provide the highest quality running shoes to Chinese consumers since we entered the Chinese market in 2003. These new Experience Stores offer a completely original shopping experience to our customers. Meanwhile, we hope that we can bring the idea of a running culture, which is so popular elsewhere, to China. This year, we will hold our New Balance “6km Run” in six of China’s major cities. We will also be organizing a variety of activities for runners of all levels. Let’s get running!”
Bringing Together Performance and Lifestyle
The new Experience Store on Huai Hai Road, Shanghai displays New Balance’s entire product line: sports footwear, apparel and a variety of sports accessories, available for all seasons and for men, women and kids, bringing the complete New Balance experience to consumers. Prime position is given to New Balance’s series of high performance running shoes. New Balance has always been at the forefront of technology and innovation in performance footwear. As a complement, the lifestyle series caters to customers looking for fashionable colors and elegant designs. These two series perfectly integrate high technology with fashionable design, exhibiting New Balance’s traditional craftsmanship and its modern spirit.
