One might have assumed that the new Adidas store - a four-story building hosting all its brands - would be on New York City's Fifth Avenue.

But the first store to open as part of the new Adidas "Home Court" store concept sits in Beijing's Sanlitun area, an upscale retail center that is home to trendy fashion and high-tech brands.

"To stay at the heart of the fashion cluster indicates the brand's efforts to compete with rapidly growing fast-fashion brands and to enhance its access to fashion-loving consumers," said Hermann Ng, chief executive officer of Retail Nation, a consultancy in Shanghai.