We went to have a look at the new pop up store for Filativa at the bottom of NYC’s Lafayette because they wouldn’t let us in the Nolita Nike iD store. Some fellow outside convinced us that he worked for Nike (no sneakers on his feet) and that it was strictly for appointment only. It looked quiet inside and few passersby showed much interest in the store whilst we were there.
So, with that experience fresh in our minds, we were far more impressed when we saw what was happening at the Filativa pop-up. Yes, the store lacked the aesthetic slick beauty of Nike design but what it was full of was 18-20 year old people. And there was a line outside!
The concept is very simple. You draw, scribble, paint on a piece of paper, it gets scanned in, then pressed onto your own FREE Filativa T Shirt. You can put anything you want – AND it comes with a nice Fila logo on the bottom right hand corner you can show off to your friends.
By the look of it, the kids were loving it. And the poor woman who did all the work put on a brave face. How different from the hush-hush iD sneaker store five minutes away that you couldn’t get into (and I still haven’t worked out how to get an appointment).
No doubt, the Nike iD store is one of those ‘let’s target trendy influencers and then they’ll tell their friends and then everyone will be buying Nikes!’ concepts. But what we learned from our visit was (a) an influencer doesn’t necessary need to be a Hush Puppy wearing LES hipster and (b) the Filativa concept is not really about customization (like Nike iD) – it’s about engaging the customer with an experience they find valuable.
(Review Conducted Saturday May 14. Filativa Store Is Now Closed)
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