SPORTSWEAR giant Puma has unveiled its first-ever flagship store in North America. The brand has set up shop on New York’s Fifth Avenue, where it now occupies an 18,000 square foot space dedicated to immersive experiences and innovative technology. The store, which opened this week, is a sports lover’s playground: it features in-house F1 racing simulators identical to the ones used by brand ambassadors Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, allowing shoppers to virtually race down the streets of New York City.
It also features a soccer simulator inspired by the San Siro Stadium in Italy, which offers virtual coaching tips from professional footballers Antoine Griezmann and Romelu Lukaku, who are also Puma brand ambassadors. Basketball fans are taken care of too, thanks to a large screen NBA2K gaming experience furnished with stadium-style seating. “I believe investing in this new store-in one of the fastest paced cities in the world-will help us in our pursuit to be the fastest sports brand in the world,” said Bjoern Gulden, Chief Executive Officer of PUMA SE, in a statement.
“We’re committed to pushing the boundaries of sports, fashion and technology, and this store is the latest manifestation of that commitment.” The space also encourages self-expression, featuring a ‘Puma x You’ customisation studio that lets shoppers get creative with paints, dyes, laser printing, embroidery and other techniques to put their own stamp on footwear, apparel and accessories. The brand will bring new artists in for residencies every two weeks. – Relaxnews
