Fashion Island to be Nike test site

Deepa Bharath

FASHION ISLAND -- The ubiquitous Nike squiggle will take on a whole

new dimension come October.

The company that manufactures and sells sports gear all over the world

is set to open its first-ever NIKEgoddess store at the shopping center in

mid-October.

The 6,000-square-foot store, the first of its kind in the country,

will focus exclusively on female consumers and will sell an array of

sports gear.

The store will be a welcome addition to Fashion Island, said Jennifer

Smith, the center’s spokeswoman.

“We’re very excited,” she said. “Any time you get interest from a

company like Nike, that’s just great. We’re sure the store is going to be

very well received by our customers.”

Why did Nike choose Fashion Island from all the malls in the country?

The area has a great demographic and potential, said Lisa Clausen,

general manager of Nike retail.

“Fashion Island has a contemporary mix of retail places,” she said.

“For example, Kenneth Cole is going to be next door to us. That was the

kind of mix we were looking for.”

Another similar store will be opened in the Grove at Farmer’s Market

in Los Angeles in March.

Nike officials say the store will offer the “highest level of service,

the highest quality product and the best assortment of Nike apparel,

footwear and equipment for women.”

“I think it’s going to be unique,” Clausen said. “It has a

substantially different feel to it.”

The ambience of the store, she said, will be soothing and aims to make

the customer comfortable.

Clausen said insights from the stores will be used by all retailers

that sell Nike products, with the consumer feedback being used to develop

products that meet the expectations and active lifestyles of today’s

women.

The Fashion Island store will not, and is not meant to, compete with

Niketown in Costa Mesa, Clausen said.

“The two stores will be complementary,” she said. “NIKEgoddess has a

laser focus on the female consumer. Niketown is more general, for men,

women and children. We hope the two stores will potentially enhance each

other.”