Nike cuts ties with Amazon to focus on direct to consumer

The sportswear brand launched its pilot with Amazon in June 2017, offering an assortment of footwear and apparel directly to Amazon shoppers. However, Nike has now severed ties with the online marketplace to focus more on selling direct to customers, according to multiple reports in the US.

In a statement given to Bloomberg, Nike said: “As part of Nike’s focus on elevating consumer experiences through more direct, personal relationships, we have made the decision to complete our current pilot with Amazon Retail.

“We will continue to invest in strong, distinctive partnerships for Nike with other retailers and platforms to seamlessly serve our consumers globally.”

Nike will continue to use Amazon Web Services to power its app and website.

The brand has made no secret in recent times of its desire to sell more directly to its customers, and in late October announced that long-serving chief executive Mark Parker would be stepping down from the business.

His replacement, John Donahoe, has been bought in to help build its strategic focus and digital sales channels while scaling back its wholesale business by as much as 50% over the next five years.

The news has put the likes of Sports Direct and JD Sports on notice in the UK, as well as a number of smaller, independent retailers.