BEAVERTON, Ore. & INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6,
2008--NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) and The Finish Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:FINL)
today announced the opening of a new retail experience called Finish
Line Ltd customized to meet the needs of young running and training
athletes. The concept store is located at the Chandler Fashion Center
near Phoenix, Arizona.
"This new store will serve young athletes who have a passion for
running and training," said Nike Brand President Charlie Denson.
"We're partnering with Finish Line to offer a higher level of service,
a deeper connection to the local running community and a strengthened
product assortment. It's part of our long-term strategy to elevate the
marketplace, create energy at retail and connect with consumers in our
core categories."
"We are excited to see what the new store design, enhanced service
level and tighter product assortment can do for sales," said Alan
Cohen, Finish Line CEO. "This store will cater to the young athletes
in Phoenix with its unique product assortment and opportunities for
customization."
Finish Line Ltd will be divided into three sections: running,
sport style and training. Running will lead the way with a significant
Nike+ running story up front. Finish Line Ltd will offer the complete
Nike+ package including the plus-enabled footwear, Nike+ Sport Kit,
and Apple iPod Nanos. Finish Line Ltd also will carry an assortment of
other leading running, training and sport style brands that are
relevant to this young active consumer.
Additionally, Finish Line Ltd features an exclusive assortment of
Nike performance and sports culture footwear that reflect the colors
of local high schools in the Greater Phoenix area. Shoppers will also
see the same colors in the Nike Pro apparel offering, which will
enable them to customize Nike Pro apparel with their own high school
sport, name and number.
Finish Line Ltd will offer an enhanced level of customer service
including in-store demonstrations of product by trained running sales
associates. Customers also will be able to test-run Nike product.
Training tools, such as selecting the best shoe or finding the right
local running route, will be featured as well.
In conjunction with the store opening, Nike and Finish Line will
hold "Rock the Lot," a fun run, on May 18, 2008. Hundreds of high
school students will be invited to participate. The event will feature
a local VJ/DJ as emcee, a free Nike participant tee, footwear trials
and a "Battle of the Bands" gaming competition.
About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading
designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear,
apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and
fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse
Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear,
apparel and accessories; Cole Haan Holdings Incorporated, which
designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories
and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football
(soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets
and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel
and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.
About Finish Line
The Finish Line, Inc. is one of the largest mall-based specialty
retailers operating under the Finish Line and Man Alive brand names.
The Finish Line, Inc. is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Global Select
Market under the symbol FINL. The Company currently operates 700
Finish Line stores in 47 states and online and 94 Man Alive stores in
19 states and online. To learn more about these brands, visit
www.finishline.com.
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http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5677097
CONTACT: Nike Investor Contact:
Pamela Catlett, 503-671-4589
or
Nike Media Contact:
Derek Kent, 503-532-1405
or
The Finish Line Media Contact
Elise Hasbrook, 317-899-1022, Extension 6827
SOURCE: NIKE, Inc.