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Retail Innovation Strategy

View of colorful balloons floating in the sky during sunset or sunrise with a city skyline in the background.

Overview

❋ The Challenge

In the wake of the pandemic and its myriad effects on the retail landscape, adidas turned towards the future and was looking to define its ideal state retail experience that also drives business performance. They had a clear knowledge gap: a firsthand understanding of the consumer to supplement store-level performance data — they needed to hear what motivated people to shop and buy in-store vs. online, and better understand behavioral patterns. Our mission was to develop a core retail strategy and scalable application roadmap to help adidas-owned stores in North America raise foot traffic and increase purchase margin without relying on promotional tactics and discounts.

❋ The Relevance Unlock

An 18 store, 70+ person interview audit with customers and managers revealed that each store experience, regardless of its role in the overall fleet, needs to activate the optimistic spirit of the brand. Consumers don’t differentiate the brand from the store, so each physical experience is an opportunity to reinforce the master brand attitude and ethos, and build connection. Through localization, increased interactivity, and a focus on cultural context specific to each location, adidas could deepen its brand fidelity through its footprint.

❋ The Outcome

adidas shifted its retail point of view from transactional to experiential. As the brand accelerated its direct-to-consumer strategy, stores became a stronger driver of both revenue and connection, supported by continued investment across North America.

A localized, experience-led approach turned key locations into cultural touchpoints, reinforcing brand attitude and increasing engagement.

The result is a more scalable retail model that balances consistency with local relevance, driving both brand and business impact.

What We Delivered

Custom Research

Fieldwork + Site Visits

Store-Level Observations

Cross-Functional Workshops

Shopper Personas + Profiles

Retail Positioning (Fleet & Format)

Cross-Functional Applications

Learning Agenda

Project Duration: 12 weeks

Presentation slide titled 'Methodology Summary In-Field Qualitative Research part 1' with a subtitle 'adidas store visits' and details about 18 stores across 5 US markets including NYC, Chicago, Minnesota, Houston, and LA. The slide features a collage of 15 images of various adidas retail stores, displaying mannequins, clothing displays, sneakers, store interiors, and customers shopping.

Extensive multi-modal research — including in-store customer interviews and site evaluations nationwide — informed cross-functional recommendations across store formats and shopper profiles.

Three images of Adidas store displays. The first shows a colorful neon-style wall art featuring city skyscrapers, a street sign reading 'Bronx' and 'Adidas,' and a large Adidas logo made of multicolored dots. The second is a display shelf with Adidas merchandise and colorful packaging, including shelves of yellow, blue, red, and green boxes, and promotional materials with a man's image and product info. The third depicts a tall mirror with the Adidas logo reflecting a street scene outside with palm trees, cars, and buildings.

The strong performance and positive sentiment driven by hyper-local storytelling, product, and activations elevated localization to a core focus for the brand.

Exterior view of an Adidas store on Spring Street with blue signage, and an interior display of sneakers, clothing, and mannequins.

With the Spring Street Originals relaunch in April 2026, our core tenets of community and localization shine. The space pays homage to New York’s legacy of street photography, creativity, and gallery culture while it “serves as a platform and a meeting place for New York’s creative community,” explains Joe Robertson, VP of Culture Marketing at adidas.

Black and white portrait of a woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing a dark top and a delicate necklace.

The Quick Study team was fantastic to work with. From our first conversation, Alexa and Rob understood the strategic challenge and potential business impact of the assignment. Throughout our project, they provided thoughtful recommendations based on both the ambitions of our brand and the current realities of our operating model. Overall I am pleased with their work and their partnership and looking forward to working with Quick Study again in the future.

Kerry Kessler | Director of Retail Marketing, adidas North America

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