Fleet Feet Opens Inventory-Less Concept Shop in Portland
Fleet Feet has opened a new retail concept shop in Portland, OR, combining its 3D foot-scanning technology and personalized outfitting experience with two-day home delivery.
Dubbed Fleet Feet Drop Shop, the retail experience store carries try-on samples of the top 35 men's and women's shoe models from brands including Brooks, Hoka ONE ONE, New Balance, and On. Store “outfitters” will help find footwear solutions for customers to try on in-store based on the customer's foot size, width, and needs. Once the customer decides on the shoe, the outfitter orders the model in the color choice of the customer, who then receives the product via home delivery and free shipping in two days.
"There's nothing more frustrating for the customer than not having the shoe size and color they want in stock," says Wade Pannell, owner of Fleet Feet Drop Shop. "We saw an opportunity to develop a concept shop sized for the urban retail environment that doubled down on convenience and selection for the customer. At about 1,300 square feet, Fleet Feet Drop Shop has a smaller footprint than a traditional Fleet Feet location, but we've removed the constraints of physical inventory in order to maximize every square foot of the customer experience, and ultimately, the customer's satisfaction in receiving the shoe model and size they need in the color they want."
In addition to utilizing 3D foot-scanning, Fleet Feet Drop Shop outfitters will utilize Fit Engine, a powerful algorithm that assists outfitters in shoe selection through purchase insights from the over 2 million scans captured at Fleet Feet stores nationwide since 2017. 3D foot scanning, Fit Engine, and the one-on-one expert advice provided by the outfitters make up Fleet Feet's fit id personalized outfitting experience, currently available at the retailer’s 182 locations nationwide.
Pannell owns 10 additional Fleet Feet locations across Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, in addition to the Fleet Feet Drop Shop located on 3080 Southeast Division Street.
"Wade has a tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit to him that makes him the perfect person to bring this concept to life," says Joey Pointer, CEO of Fleet Feet. "His passion for testing and evolving always goes back to identifying how we can we best serve the customer and the community, a principle that's at the core of the Fleet Feet brand. We look forward to learning from both the results and the customer reception of Fleet Feet Drop Shop to identify other potential opportunities like it in urban environment across the country."
In addition to fit id, Fleet Feet Drop Shop will feature another staple of Fleet Feet when later this year it kicks off run clubs and training programs for 5K, 10K and marathon distances.