We visited an Under Armour store and saw why it's still struggling to win over women
I went to an Under Armour store in New York City's Financial District on a weekday afternoon. The store was dimly lit and felt very industrial. It was empty besides the two employees working, and music was blasting.
The mannequins in the men's section up front had on black t-shirts and shorts with gold accents. Behind them were more neutral-colored shirts and shorts.
The women's side had mannequins wearing sports bras and leggings, either in black or neon colors and patterns. Already, I was unimpressed by the lack of variety. The store carried women's sizes up to XXL, but there were far more smaller sizes in stock and on display.
The men's clothing selection was pretty straightforward athletic gear, but a lot of the women's clothing seemed like it was trying to be more stylish, like this $50 cropped t-shirt. It was being sold as a running shirt but seemed impractical for actually working out in.
Meanwhile, the men's t-shirts seemed far more practical and were less expensive. This white t-shirt cost $35.
Menswear was divided into different departments, like golf or basketball ...
... but all of the women's clothing was grouped together in a more generic women's department. There weren't obvious divisions for women's golf or women's basketball clothing like there was for the men's clothing.
Even though there was a relatively equal amount of merchandise in the men's and women's sections, the lack of attention in the women's department made menswear feel like the focus of the store.
There was a digital ad display in the store that rotated between images of athletes. The ads throughout the store were inclusive — Under Armour has been more successful in trying to appeal to women in this regard.
The advertisements were prominent and were definitely a step in the right direction.
While the store featured an equal amount of men's and women's clothes and inclusive ads, it seemed like the store was just starting to appeal more to women. It definitely felt more traditionally masculine, and a lot of the women's merchandise missed the mark.
In an attempt to be more stylish, a lot of the shirts — like oversized crop tops and baggy windbreakers — became impractical for actually working out in.
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