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We visited the new Nike-powered Foot Locker in Manhattan and saw why it's a sneakerhead's dream

Nike partnered with Foot Locker on a new retail concept for its third community-centric Power Store, which opened Saturday in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood.

Foot Locker
  • The store features integrated in-store technology powered by Nike through its app. Shoppers can use it to receive free giveaways, early access to limited-edition sneakers, and real-time inventory information.
  • We visited the store in advance of its official public opening. This is what it was like.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Foot Locker opened the doors to its third community-focused Power Store, teaming with Nike in a partnership that integrates the brand's proprietary technology into the new store concept.

The store which opened to the public on August 10 in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood includes a variety of new features, including the ability to search for and reserve products on the Nike app either in-store or at home. The app also provides shoppers with access to special perks when visiting the physical store, including the ability to select an item from the Nike Plus Unlock Box a vending machine filled with Nike-branded goodies like sunglasses and chargers as well as access to limited-edition sneakers via the Nike Shoecase.

Throughout the store, users can also scan barcodes to pull up additional information and real-time inventory from Nike and Foot Locker stores in the vicinity.

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In tandem with the opening of the Washington Heights store, Nike and Foot Locker announced plans to open 50 Power Stores in the U.S. in the next three years. This is the first time Nike has lent its digital capabilities to a partner in this capacity, Ann Hebert, vice president of global sales at Nike, told Business Insider.

"We want to get to know consumers better so that we can serve them better," Hebert said. "Footlocker's got amazing relationships here locally in the community, and we want to take advantage of that. Consumers in this community love Nike and we love them back, so we're bringing our technology here as part of our network strategy."

We visited the new Washington Heights Foot Locker Power Store in advance of its official public opening. Here's what it's like.

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Bethany Biron/Business Insider

Foot Locker Power Stores are significantly larger than regular Foot Lockers, since they combine, menswear, womenswear, and children's apparel and footwear. The Washington Heights location, 605 W 181st St, New York, NY 10033, is two-stories tall and approximately 9,000-square-feet.

According to Frank Bracken vice president and general manager of Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, and Lady Foot Locker each store features products and an overall aesthetic that are specific to the city and neighborhood.

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As part of the Power Store initiative, Bracken said 85% of the Washington Heights store is staffed by employees who live directly in the neighborhood.

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The app and membership are both free.

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We found these signs scattered across the store.

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For its women's department, Bracken cited newer additions like Tommy Hilfiger and an expanded Champion collection. "With the benefit of the space, we're able to merchandise and offer a better assortment flow for [consumers]," he said.

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"What kind of distinguishes [the Power Store] is neighborhood connectivity," Bracken said. "From the artwork and the murals and throughout the story, there are vestiges of that."

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Bracken said the store was designed with various places for members of the neighborhood to come in and hang out.

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During launch week, Foot Locker is hosting a panel series called "Homegrown," where the founders and entrepreneurs of these featured collections will come and speak to members of the Washington Heights community.

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Shoppers can scan their personal QR code in the Nike app to get the process started.

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Each pair of shoes represents one of the main characters: Spongebob Squarepants, Patrick Star, and Squidward Tentacles.

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"We've been partners with Foot Locker for decades and we feel like they have the same passion to serve the consumer that we do, and desire to identify how you recognize them when they come in the door, how to serve them in your entirety, and how to you reward them where it's possible," Hebert, VP of global sales at Nike, said.

See Also:

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SEE ALSO: Nike is launching 'SpongeBob Squarepants'-themed sneakers here's every pair in the collection

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