1. Do you think opening retail stores in China is a good move for New Balance? Why or why not?

Boston-based New Balance has invaded China. The 103-year-old company got its start manufacturing and selling arch supports to people like police officers and waiters, whose work kept them on their feet all day. During the 1970s, the company switched its focus to designing and marketing athletic shoes for “the everyday athlete,”
with proper fit being its key selling point. Over time, New Balance added an apparel line and has become a leading name in the industry.
The company’s family of brands also includes Dunham, Aravon, Warrior, Brine, and the classic American sneaker, PF Flyers.
The first New Balance retail stores in China, called “Experience Stores,” opened in Beijing and Shanghai in 2010, with hundreds more planned for the near future. The stores’ décor emphasizes the company’s century-long heritage and accomplishments. Walk in the front door and you’ll swear you’ve just entered a shoe store from the 1950s. The space evokes all five of the senses: comfortable, well-worn leather couches; framed archival photographs, advertisements, and other paraphernalia from the company’s early days; an oak scent in the air, reminiscent of the smell of an old-time shoe store; and piped-in sounds from the “be-bop” era, including such artists as the Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Bill Haley and the Comets. A “DNA ribbon” in each Experience Store—
underscoring the company’s unique Performance DNA concept—
traces the company’s history and accomplishments and hints at the future as it extends from the first floor to the second floor.