Retail Therapy: Under Armour, Madison, WI

To keep a new string of posts going regarding US retail done well, I was pulled into the very local and new branch of the Under Armour brand (don't forget the "u" in the spelling of this US brand?). I tend to only visit their outlet mall offerings, which are pretty outlet mall-ish... but there was something about this crisp, clean, new and imposed facade smack dab in the middle of a relatively unimposing college town shopping area, known as State Street.

You should also probably know that Under Armour is the athletic sponsor of the University of Wisconsin (Madison), so it started to make sense as I walked in why this store as sprung up so quickly and right on the student avenue. Sorry, Adidas.

Let's start of with some team sprts stuff to get you pumped up!!! Go sports!

I love this kind of knowledge, so they had me from the jump.

PE = Player Edition. I don't know if these items are just for the athletes on the teams, but it looked cool to me. Do I need shin-high cleats for grocery shopping?

This is a two-story store, and the infrastructure alone was worth more than any place I've ever lived. Huge flat screen and lovely leather loungers to try shoes on... while you keep tabs on the game.

It was just crisp and clean with no caffeine. I liked it. I didn't buy anything and likely won't, but I'd go back just to see what else they're up to there.

They showcased their electronic offerings (connected scale, HR strap, watch, etc.), which I'm guessing do alright, but pale in comparison to Apple Watch's popularity/sales.

Finally, they kept tying it all back to the University and the surrounding area, which gave it a great personal, local feel without being too gushy. It was nice to see a global brand brought down to a local level. Well done, U.