New Balance reimagines the performance shoe launch as a London street market for the SC Rebel. Inside Phonica Records, product trial sits alongside food, music, floristry, customisation and running culture, creating a tactile world rooted in Soho and the city beyond. More than a launch, the experience shows how product, place and community can work together to make performance feel culturally relevant and physically memorable.

New Balance builds a permanent home, not just a store, at The Grove. A staircase runs past an athlete wall, turning circulation into storytelling, while sequenced programming, a listening lounge, a café, a capsule machine, keeps giving people new reasons to return. Leadership frames retail as belief-building, not selling. The lesson: a flagship becomes infrastructure once it outlives its own opening weekend.

On builds its first Brazilian stores out of São Paulo's own concrete. JK Iguatemi channels SESC Pompeia's brutalist textures; MorumbiShopping translates Oscar Niemeyer's Copan Building into flow and rhythm. Two distinct references, not one repeated template, giving Swiss design DNA somewhere local to land. Framed as gathering places for movement, not just retail, these stores are core infrastructure for a brand growing its owned channels globally.

Swiss performance brand On has opened its first UAE store at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai — a 265 sqm space featuring the brand's full CloudTec® footwear, apparel, and accessories offer. The opening marks On's third GCC location following Riyadh and Kuwait, with nine more planned across the region. What sets it apart is the community that was already there long before the doors opened.

ASICS turned walking into a four-stage video game. Its Chengdu pop-up builds an entire urban streetscape around the new GEL-PHAI Z, splitting the journey into an Energy Station, a Photography Booth, a Paced Research Institute, and a Teamwork Game Center. By building around walking, not running, ASICS found the one action requiring no skill or training to join — and made an everyday habit feel worth showing up for.

Performance retail is entering a new era where stores function less as sales floors and more as cultural hubs. On’s Stockholm flagship captures this shift perfectly, blending Swiss precision with Scandinavian minimalism and community-led programming. From architecture inspired by the city itself to weekly run clubs and movement sessions, the space shows how modern sportswear brands are using physical retail to build identity, belonging and emotional connection beyond the prod

In Hangzhou, HOKA transforms its trail-running DNA into a fully immersive “Antelope Space,” where mountain spirit meets urban culture. Built around the SPEEDGOAT franchise, the activation blends rock textures, community workshops, and social spaces to create retail as participation, not display. The result is a narrative-led environment where product, people, and purpose converge, redefining how performance brands show up in the physical world.

Oner Active took over London Marathon weekend with its "Oner Your Recovery" van, a chrome-finished sanctuary in Covent Garden. Reimagining the support truck, the space offered a high-impact recovery hub for female athletes. Over 600 visitors soaked up the vibes, with 100 finishers unlocking "Oner Toolboxes" packed with gear and beauty essentials. The activation turned post-race fatigue into a high-vibration celebration of community and female strength.

Inside Somerset House, New Balance’s London Run House is a masterclass in community-led activation. By transforming the Embankment Galleries into a sanctuary for the TCS London Marathon, the brand trades elite gatekeeping for radical belonging. From borough-led documentaries to post-race recovery zones and medal engraving, every touchpoint validates the runner’s journey. It works by shifting from a footwear partner to a cultural stakeholder, proving that if you run, you belon

Gymshark’s "The Jacket Patch" in West London is a masterclass in insight-led brand experience. Addressing the "finish line anticlimax" felt by many HYROX athletes, the brand took over a retro cafe to serve free jacket potatoes via internet icons Spud Man and Grime Gran. The activation blended British cultural nostalgia with a clever product launch, the velcro "Patch Jacket"—proving that the most impactful IRL moments are those that provide community, care, and a place to sit

New Balance’s "Run House" in Rome is a masterclass in Legacy Reactivation. By transforming the 15th-century Corsie Sistine into a wellness and recovery hub for the marathon weekend, the brand returned the historic hospital to its original purpose: care. Blending breathwork, product discovery, and community runs with Roman culture, the activation moved the needle from pure performance to holistic wellbeing, creating a high-dwell-time sanctuary in the heart of the Eternal City.

On’s first standalone flagship in South Korea, located in Seoul’s vibrant Hannam district, is a masterclass in atmospheric retail. Inspired by the city’s nighttime running routes, the three-level space features a "cinematic urban landscape" of reflective surfaces and Han River-inspired lighting. With a dedicated basement running hub for community engagement and the debut of LightSpray™ technology, On has created a cultural anchor where performance meets Seoul’s kinetic spirit

On’s first Kuwait flagship at The Avenues Mall is a 440sqm "Movement Hub." Beyond showcasing the brand's full Swiss-engineered range, the space is designed to foster local fitness culture through hosted runs and a strategic partnership with Barry’s. By featuring Kuwaiti Olympian Amal Al-Roumi, the brand anchors its global "Dream On" philosophy in local excellence. It’s a masterclass in how premium brands can scale across the GCC through community-first retail.

The On Pop-Up Bali in Pererenan is a masterclass in "Contextual Retail." Moving beyond simple product display, the space serves as a community hub featuring coastal runs, strength classes, and a smoothie collaboration with local brand Lenny’s. Centred by a 3D-printed Alpine rock installation reinterpreted by Balinese artist Jemana Murti, the space bridges Swiss precision and island tradition. It is an open, inclusive environment designed for the "movement-first" lifestyle of

On expands its London footprint with a new Kensington store, reinforcing the city as its most important global retail market. Positioned by Hyde Park, the space connects performance product with local running culture. Clean, site-specific design and integrated product storytelling turn the store into a community hub, not just a shop. A strong example of how future retail blends function, place and brand experience.

On’s first Spanish flagship in Madrid marks a key step in its evolution from performance disruptor to premium lifestyle brand. Set within a historic Salamanca building, the store balances local heritage with On’s clean, technical design language. Monochrome interiors, precise lighting and a full head-to-toe offer create a calm, performance-led environment. More than retail, the space acts as a community hub, using run clubs and movement to turn brand into lived experience.

adidas redefines performance retail with Adizero House of Fast at Kite Beach, transforming a runner-favourite route into a fully functional brand ecosystem. More than a pop-up, it’s a community hub for training, recovery and connection, blending product with purpose. It is a clear example of future retail where brands add real value by embedding themselves into everyday culture, not just selling into it.

adidas Hybrid Hotel in East London redefines brand activations: a free, immersive recovery space blending red-light therapy, coaching, supplements, and The Circuit Suite for elite product testing. It turns wellness into experience, making performance accessible to all while deepening brand connection and showcasing future retail possibilities. This is experiential retail at its best, interactive, purposeful, and human-centred.

On Running opens its largest Greater Bay Area store in Guangzhou, creating an immersive space inspired by Tianhe Park’s running routes. With coffered ceilings mimicking tree-lined paths, shimmering light, and earthy tones, the store blends urban nature with an active lifestyle. Playful oversized shoelace installations and new capsule collections turn the space into a dynamic brand experience that connects design, movement, and community.

Nike’s King’s Road store reopens as a celebration of the modern female athlete — blending performance, fashion, and heritage. Inspired by the winged goddess of victory, it merges sculptural design, curated edits, and storytelling to redefine sport as lifestyle. Retail becomes empowerment: a space where women feel seen, inspired, and unstoppable.

Saucony’s Tracing the Source of the Stream pop-up in Guangzhou blends the brand’s running heritage with the city’s water culture. Inspired by Saucony Creek, the space uses flowing wood and stone design to mirror movement. Featuring interactive zones, product showcases, and a co-branded café with Green House, it connects sport, culture, and community. More than a retail moment, it’s an immersive journey celebrating flow, heritage, and the beauty of motion.

On lands at Bangkok’s ICONSIAM with a flagship that fuses Swiss precision and Thai inspiration. Drawing from Khon Kaen’s Blue Spring, the 826 sqm store features natural textures, curved design, and an interactive Magic Wall showcasing On’s innovations. Divided into zones for running, training, lifestyle, and tennis, it doubles as a hub for the city’s running community with workshops and run clubs. More than retail, it’s a cultural destination blending performance, storytellin

Nike Running @ The Corner in Nordstrom NYC blends performance, lifestyle, and community. Showcasing Pegasus, Vomero, and Structure alongside women’s apparel and customization, the space hosts weekly runs, recovery workshops, and tutorials. More than a pop-up, it’s a retail clubhouse that inspires connection and celebrates running culture, merging Nike innovation with Nordstrom service to transform shopping into shared momentum and storytelling into community fuel.

SDD25/20_03: HOKA and Xsneaker have unveiled a standout retail experience with their Greenhouse Garden installation at the Southern Song Dynasty Royal Street store. Created to celebrate the launch of the Mafate Speed 4 Lite, the immersive concept draws from the idea of a greenhouse ecosystem, where light filters through transparent glass to spotlight thriving greenery. This setup reflects the symbiotic relationship between nature and city life, offering a calming, atmospheric