Converse's Unfinished Gallery on Yuyuan Road
Converse has opened a new store on Shanghai's Yuyuan Road, built around art exhibitions, customization and community programming, opening with a chapter called "Unfinished Gallery."
For comparison, its new Nanjing store follows a more familiar format, centered on premium product and the Chuck 70 X launch.
The contrast reflects how the market works. Shanghai tends to demand more from brands in terms of character and ideas - go deep, take risks, create 'wow' moments. What's required to stay on-top of things in Shanghai becomes the sharp edge of the strategy ...which can then be subsequently rolled out into other markets.
We worked with Converse as a client in the past. At the time, it was running a strategy of bravery and bold moves - clear community and culture targets.
After a period of running in neutral, efforts like the Shanghai store are an encouraging signs of that instinct returning.
There's still scope for pushing boundaries here further. With Nike's Greater China revenue down 17%, the next step is defining how the brand can connect with specific cultures and amplify specific investments towards community momentum.
