On Holding, the Swiss athletic footwear company, is gearing up to cut the ribbon on its biggest retail store yet in the US, situated in the bustling NW 23rd Avenue of Portland, Oregon, according to Footwear News. Slated to open on February 24, this flagship store not only boasts a sprawling 3,400 square feet of shopping space but also sits just a stone's throw from the company's American HQ.
Revolutionizing how shoppers interact with their products, On's Portland outpost will premiere a modular retail design that can shift in response to consumer preferences, and it’s something to marvel at, soon customers will step into a domain where instant shoe try-ons are the norm, thanks to their "Magic Wall"—a hidden trove of footwear waiting behind inconspicuous drawers. Britt Olsen, On's general manager for the Americas and the mind behind global commercial strategy, endeared themselves to the Rose City citing "an incredible art and food culture," and unbeatable access "to the outdoors—for all forms of movement," in a statement acquired by Footwear News.
With Portland not just being any city but a battleground where giants like Nike and Adidas also have staked their claims, On’s aggressive retail strategy could be seen as a direct challenge. It's a significant leap from On’s humble beginnings in the city back in 2013 with a mere three team members to now an army of over 260 employees across various departments. As reported by BNN Breaking, this expansion is more than just throwing open another set of doors; it's about ingraining the On brand into the Portland fabric and reshaping the traditional retail mold.
Amidst a broader strategy to amplify its direct-to-consumer connections, On has 32 existing stores around the globe, and has eyes on launching an additional 15 to 20 stores in 2024, not to mention their ambitions to maintain a pace of opening 20 to 25 stores annually starting in 2025, this store in Portland follows the trail of 22 stores that On has established in China, indicating an unrelenting push to deepen customer experiences on a global scale, as evidenced by the swift expansion cited by Footwear News.
