Nike has ended a two-year pilot program to sell its shoes and clothing directly on Amazon‘s website.
The sportswear giant, which agreed in 2017 to sell a limited assortment of merchandise to Amazon in exchange for stricter policing of counterfeits and restrictions on unsanctioned sales of its products, confirmed the news in a statement to FN. The move is part of Nike’s push to sell more of its footwear and apparel items directly to consumers.
“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,” the Beaverton, Ore.-based company announced. “We will continue to invest in strong, distinctive partnerships for Nike with other retailers and platforms to seamlessly serve our consumers globally.”
The Swoosh added that it would continue to partner with Amazon Web Services “to power a suite of services” on Nike.com as well as within its ecosystem of apps, including the Nike flagship app, Nike Training Club, Nike Running Club and its SNKRS platform.
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Amazon has long been courting major fashion and athletic companies to sell products on its website, and for years Nike had avoided selling its products directly to the e-tail behemoth as it sought to retain control over its brand. Today, more than 30% of Nike’s annual revenues stem from its direct-to-consumer business, the firm also sells its products at Nordstrom, Foot Locker and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Its departure from Amazon comes ahead of the peak holiday shopping period. As retailers begin to roll out discounts and promotions in the battle for consumers, Amazon’s price tags have become tough to match. A recent Profitero report noted that the Seattle-based site has the lowest prices among big-name online sellers, including Walmart.com, Target.com and Jet.com.
Amazon did not immediately respond to FN’s request for comment.
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