Nike Store With History of Shoplifting Closes on UES
Nike wanted its only UES store to be an upscale retail mecca at Third Avenue and East 67th Street. But locals say it instead became a mecca for shoplifters, and it’s now closed.
| 27 Jan 2025 | 04:54
A man walks past the Nike Well Collective in October 2020 when it was still expected to be an upscale shopping experience at East 67th Street and Third Avenue. (
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Re-opening after the COVID lockdown, Nike Well Collective-UES was touted as an upscale new shop on the UES. But locals say the store was plagued by shoplifting. (
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Stripped bare: the now-empty Nike Well Collective on Third Avenue and East 67th Street. (
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The Nike Well Collective, September 2021. (
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The Nike Well Collective on Third Avenue is officially closed following long-time shoplifting issues, after over a decade at Third Avenue and 67th Street. Though it was among the locations that survived Nike’s worldwide COVID shutdown in 2020, a continuous stream of thefts is thought to have shut down for good.
“I thought this was the Nike store,” one passing-by resident exclaimed when Our Town stopped by on Jan. 26.
Not a shred of Nike material remained in the stripped-down shop, replaced by towers of boxes and empty racks. Other than that, what had been the corner sporting-goods store since 2013 was vacant. Even the front signage was removed.
On the official Nike website, the store is still listed, along with its hours. The website lists “Special Hours” from Monday, Jan. 27, to Friday, Jan. 31. Those “Special Hours” are listed as “Closed.” The website claims the store will be open this Saturday at 10 a.m.
While on-site security and Nike store staff declined to comment, and Nike representatives could be not reached, the store does have a history of shoplifting. The New York Post reported in 2023 that shoplifting incidents happened “at least four days a week,” with regular thefts of items worth hundreds of dollars.
One user on Instagram claims the store was robbed multiple times a day and that shoplifters could be seen carrying out handfuls of stolen clothes. Some users are sad to see the store go; others point out how close the 19th Police Precinct House is to the site of the shopliftings.
The property manager, Vornado Realty Trust, could not be reached for comment.
The closing of a Nike store in New York City is not a first for the company. In 2022, it was announced by Complex that the famous SoHo sneaker hub, NikeLab, would close in 2023. Another store, Nike by Flatiron, also closed in 2023.
Across the country, Nike stores have been getting the ax in places like Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles, where losses from shoplifting were reported in excess of $1 million.
It is unknown whether the sports-apparel giant will open a new location in the neighborhood, but for now, the Upper East Side will be without a Nike store.