Basketball brand Jordan has opened a new retail experience in Milan. The Jordan World of Flight is using locally oriented spatial interventions to strengthen and expand its relationship with local sports and fashion fans.

Key features
Jordan World of Flight Milan has opened its doors, introducing a new retail concept to the Jordan brand. The 363-sq-m shop seeks to build a deeper connection with its community, spotlighting the history of basketball and Jordan’s relationship with the sport. Located at Via Torino in Milan, the space offers access to latest products and customization, a digital pickup experience, Nike Member-only events, and a members’ lounge showcasing historical basketball content, in addition to exclusive and archival Jordan brand footwear and apparel for men, women and children. The design is inspired by the area’s connection to basketball culture, with work from local artists and creators integrated throughout. Milan-based artist Stefano Summo created murals that tell the story of local basketball courts and teams. Photographer Tom D Morgan’s work Environments, showcasing sports communities across Europe, is also on display.

FRAME’s take
Basketball has become increasingly popular in Italy. Jordan’s market entry signals the potential for basketball-targeted brands to find success with Italian consumers. It’s a genre-defining brand – it’s hard to think of basketball and not picture Jordan – but in the context of a growing market like Italy and that of greater Europe, the brand must be contextualized in order to be relevant. The store marks this outreach to the Milan community with several local-focused interventions. The decision to put the store in the city is doubly strategic as the Jordan brand also has a stronghold position in the fashion world. The localization of the global brand is a demonstration of how big-box brands are using spatial design to build loyalty within new and existing markets.