The athleisure trend has been great for those who work out, and arguably better for those who don’t (lookin‘ at you, leggings-clad couch potato). But regardless of whether you prefer to slip into your Lululemons for a workout at SoulCycle or for a Netflix marathon of Friends, Adidas has just made shopping for workout gear a little bit easier — not to mention exciting.
The athletic retailer, which has been facing some stiff competition from Nike and Under Armour lately, has announced its foray into the subscription box market. The service, called Avenue A, delivers boxes quarterly — priced at $150 a pop — which contain gear specific to female runners. Each box will contain at least three premium items, some of which will be exclusive or limited edition.
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The first box for spring 2016 is now available and features a curated selection of goodies from “fitness artist” Nicole Winhoffer, including an exclusive limited edition Pure Boost X running shoe.
It’s hard to say whether the high-priced box, which adds up to $600 per year, will take off considering its specific target customer. It’s likely that runners who might consider investing that much money for gear often have fixed preferences for brands or the type of gear they need, but Adidas is banking on the exclusivity factor and its latest celeb endorsements (Karlie Kloss and Hannah Bronfman for the #HeretoCreate campaign) to pique customers’ interest. After all, it certainly worked for the Adidas Yeezy Boost.
While it’s true subscription boxes have seeped into every niche — from makeup (Birchbox, Sephora) to snacks (Graze) to men’s shaving needs (Dollar Shave Club) — Avenue A’s $600 dollar service is definitely pushing the boundaries of the marketing strategy. Especially compared to the lower prices of other fitness subscriptions, like FabFitFun’s $50 quarterly box or Fabletics‘ $50 monthly fee, Avenue A already has some stiff competition.
Check out a sneak peek of the spring box below:
