First Look: Wilson Sporting Goods Serves the Upper East Side
Wilson Sporting Goods unveils its second retail store in New York; a neighborhood store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Following in the steps of its SoHo flagship, the uptown location is focused on the retailer's commitment to sport, highlighting an expansive product offering across sport categories.
The two-floor, more than 8,000-square-foot store will feature a multi-use court on the lower level where visitors can test out the brand's latest equipment apparel and accessories.
"New York continues to be a priority market for Wilson as we expand our retail footprint," says Gordon Devin, president & general manager, Wilson Brand. "From permanent retail locations to pop-ups, we will celebrate athletes of all levels and offer them the best of Wilson, ranging from premium products to curated experiences."
The Upper East Side store, located at 1517 3rd Avenue, will feature Wilson's first-ever "Equipment Room," where shoppers can rent select product to playtest before purchasing. Customers will be able to leverage this unique program for sporting goods needs across baseball, softball, tennis, pickleball, basketball, football, volleyball and more. Rental fees range from $5-$10 per day based on product, and all rental fees will be taken off the final price if purchased.
The new store will offer a curated assortment of best-in-class equipment across a variety of sport categories including the official basketballs of the NBA and WNBA, the Duke – the official ball of the NFL, A2000 gloves, leading tennis rackets like the Pro Staff and Clash, D9 Irons and more. The store will also house Wilson's athletic-lifestyle sportswear collection, available for both men and women. In-store services such as a full-time racket stringing maestro, ball glove personalization, club fittings and a golf simulator will also be available.
To further expand their New York presence, Wilson will be opening a third NYC store in Columbus Circle next month, as well as pop-ups in key locations throughout the summer. Additionally, Wilson will debut their annual pop-up at the US Open, where Wilson has been the official ball and racket stringer for over 40 years.
Educating Shoppers about Green Initiatives
With an overload of green information out there, one of the simplest thing retailers can do to help consumers be sustainable is communicate and educate them. In that vein, Target launched a new initiative, Target Zero, earlier this year.
The new initiative — with CGs like Burt’s Bees, PLUS, Pacifica, and more already signing on — communicates to consumers the products and packaging that are designed to be refillable, reusable, or compostable, or are made from either recycled content or materials that reduce the use of plastic. Items that fall within these categories will have a Target Zero icon on shelves in-store, and through a dedicated online experience. Target will be featuring signage across its beauty, personal care, and household essentials categories — with plans to expand into others.
“By making it easier for our guests to identify which products are designed to reduce waste, Target Zero helps them make informed decisions about what they purchase and advances a collective impact across our brand partners, our product shelves, and within our homes and communities,” said Amanda Nusz, senior vice president of corporate responsibility and president of the Target Foundation.