Dow Jones – Nike Powers Via Pandemic With Digital Push

By Khadeeja Safdar 

Nike Inc.’s pivot to e-commerce has helped the sneaker big energy via the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, the corporate stated its digital income elevated 84% within the quarter ended Nov. 30, which included Black Friday. The robust gross sales from Nike‘s web sites and cell apps — together with robust demand in China — helped the corporate log total gross sales positive aspects and better income than the year-ago interval.

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Nike is amongst a number of retailers which have benefited from earlier efforts to seize on-line gross sales. Earlier than the pandemic hit, the sportswear big had been beefing up its direct-to-consumer enterprise via its personal web site and shops. In 2019, it parted methods with Amazon.com Inc. and pared again the variety of shops that would promote its items. It additionally had been investing in apps for purchasing, promoting sneakers and guided exercises.

Within the early months of the pandemic, Nike closed shops and continued to pay its staff, however doubled down on digital gross sales whereas shoppers had been confined to their properties. On Friday, the corporate stated greater than 90% of its owned shops had been open through the quarter, however they continued to expertise declines in site visitors because of the pandemic and safety-related measures.

The Covid-19 pandemic has modified the U.S. retail panorama by accelerating e-commerce adoption amongst customers, significantly older individuals, based on Jay Sole, an analyst at UBS. In a analysis word Friday, he wrote that the bank is forecasting extra retailer closures and the net share to achieve 31% of U.S. retail gross sales by 2024, up from 14% in 2019.

Bricks-and-mortar shops have introduced 1000’s of closures this yr, and a few retailers with debt hundreds have filed for chapter safety. Eating places, malls and car dealerships all reported sharp gross sales declines in November, with clothes and furnishings purchases falling.

Foot site visitors to retail shops has declined through the pandemic however e-commerce spending has helped offset misplaced in-person gross sales. NPD Group estimates that total vacation retail gross sales are up 2% from final yr via Dec. 12, as fewer promotions and better on-line gross sales buoy the trade.

Though many gyms have been closed, athletic attire and tools makers have reported robust demand as extra individuals work and train at house. Peloton Interactive Inc. has struggled to maintain up with orders for its train bicycles and Lululemon Athletica Inc., which sells yoga pants and different loungewear, posted a giant bounce in gross sales and income in the latest quarter.

Nike‘s complete quarterly income was $11.24 billion, up 9% from a yr earlier. The outcomes had been boosted by the Higher China market, the place income rose 24%, whereas gross sales in North America, its greatest market, rose simply 1%. For the quarter, web revenue rose 12% to $1.25 billion, or 78 cents per share.

Write to Khadeeja Safdar at khadeeja.safdar@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 18, 2020 17:27 ET (22:27 GMT)

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