Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nike Inc. have formed a partnership that will have them connected unlike ever before — and their most loyal customers stand to benefit.
The companies revealed their connected partnership today, which will allow Dick’s Scorecard and Nike Membership accounts to connect through the Dick’s mobile app. In a statement, Dick’s and Nike said this partnership will offer an easy-to-use platform for customers to seamlessly shop an expanded selection of Nike footwear and apparel.
“By bringing together Nike Membership and Scorecard, we can serve people in a seamless and more consistent way. We believe connected partnerships like this one are the future of retail. We envision a future of even deeper engagement and connections with the athletes we serve,” Sarah Mensah, Nike VP and GM for North America, told FN.
Some of the benefits of this connected partnership include member-exclusive footwear and apparel, with new styles added regularly. The companies confirmed that running and yoga apparel is already available through the partnership, and an Air Force 1 and a Blazer drop is scheduled for Nov. 4.
Watch on FN
“Connecting the two memberships is going to unlock a ton of exclusive things, including product that we’ve never have been able to give to Dick’s consumers,” Dick’s Sporting Goods president and CEO Lauren Hobart told FN. “We have elevated the footwear and apparel at Dick’s over the past several years to the point where you can find much of the popular shoes and apparel in our stores that you couldn’t find before, but this connected membership opens up an even higher level of access to shoes and apparel that are very high heat.”
What’s more, the two said they will offer in-store events exclusively for members, with two events already in the works. One event will take place this month at the Dick’s House of Sport location in Rochester, N.Y., and a second is planned for the House of Sport door in Knoxville, Tenn., in December.
In addition to the product and experiences, Dick’s and Nike confirmed exclusive content for their customers will also come as a result of the connected partnership.
This partnership comes at a time when both companies are hyper focused on shaping the future of retail, with membership as a key component.
For Nike, extending its relationship with Dick’s — one of its key retail partners — is an example of using membership to strengthen connection and engagement with its consumers. “We’re shaping the marketplace of the future by allowing members to connect whenever, however and wherever they want when they’re shopping with Nike,” Mensah said.
As for Dick’s, Hobart said the company is committed to continually improving its membership experience, with Scorecard members accounting for more than 70% of its transactions.
“We’ve been focused on how to drive loyalty, how to drive more frequent purchases and more relevant experiences for our Scorecard members. This new innovation and partnership with Nike will provide even more experiences and product. It’s another level that we’re excited to be able to offer,” Hobart said.
Looking ahead, the companies stated they will continue to work together across their physical and digital properties to improve upon convenience, and offer new experiences and content for their consumers.
“We are in the initial days of the partnership, so even the experience right now is in the first steps of what could be,” Hobart said. “We are imagining things in the future with Nike that involves exclusive product access within our stores — we have 800 stores, which are a benefit to that last mile in the omnichannel experience — and we’re hoping to innovate in ways where where consumers can use Dick’s and Nike together to simplify their shopping journey.”
