online pickup: 5 stars
getting a pair of sneakers from the 4th or 5th floor: ZERO stars
finally returned to the Nike Running Industrial Complex and have purchased several pairs of Nike short to mid-distance running sneakers which has worked out pretty well for me from a comfort and run recovery standpoint. anyway enough about me--stopped here relatively recently to pickup an online order. it was super easy--show your id and order confirmation from the Nike app...hardly a wait even if there is a line. the online pickup is below street level and the Nike reps are super friendly and professional.
since I was in midtown, i decided to explore the rest of the store. the store, itself, is about Nike's commitment to a modern visual aesthetic. each floor is absolutely gigantic (for NYC) and is not crowded with merchandise--quite the opposite actually where Nike is more about creating a vibe for each floor that represents the tone and energy of whatever merchandise on each floor. the floors are maintained immaculately and very clean-to-the-eye design without it feeling empty or shallow.
the problem i have with this store? the fourth or fifth floor where the majority of sneakers from running to Jordans etc. are on display and where you can try them on and pay. there's a lot of seating bc you need to try the sneakers on and because this is the highest foot traffic area (tourists + New Yorkers trying to try on sneakers and purchase). i came up to try on on some other Nike running sneakers bc i was curious about the fit and heel slippage on a couple of newer sneakers (PRO TIP: always try on Nikes as sizing, width, and actual fit can vary from running shoe to running shoe). anyway, the way this area/floor works is you flag down an employee--give them your size, the color, which sneaker, etc. and then they send a person to get your sneakers and bring them to you. simple, right? nope, because from the time I was there the employees were more interested in goofing around and chatting amongst themselves than getting sneakers. it literally took 20-25 minutes per customer (including myself) to just get a pair of sneakers. it was busy, but not that busy. and the Nike employees seemed less concerned with getting the sneakers and more concerned with just fucking around and...on top on that the Nike employees fetching the sneakers kept bring wrong sizes to people (like me). also the employees aren't well-versed in running sneakers or running, itself, even though a fair share of the sneakers on the floor are running shoes...
now, i get it...a Nike workplace sb fun but at the end of the day...it's about selling the sneakers, etc. to the customer and having them have a good parting feeling about their purchase. this was far from the experience i and other customers had that day and Nike just depends on their outsized sneaker brand in America to not really concern itself with what consumers think bc they are Nike and can basically tell you to kick rocks and buy sneakers elsewhere.
it's weird that one part of the store is run really well (online pickup) and the area that is dedicated to selling sneakers is run like a shit show. maybe they were having an off day, but I doubt it. unsurprisingly, i did not purchase sneakers that day other than my online pickup. i did end up buying the pair i tried on online and scheduled a pickup at their SoHo store which went super smoothly.
anyway, if there is any recommendation i would make it's come to this store for online pickups only or if you're just looking at apparel. bypass the floor with all the sneakers ands try on Nikes at another location. my other tip is to become Nike Member--it's free and you get several benefits like free shipping, receipt-less returns, etc.
while people bemoan AI and robots taking human jobs, shitty sales / customer experiences could be cured simply by AI and a robot especially when the sales experience is just fetching a specific shoe at a specific size...
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