Nike Returns to Amazon as It Seeks to ‘Re-Ignite’ Brand Amid Sales Slump

The move marks Nike’s first direct partnership with Amazon since 2019, as the sportswear giant navigates falling sales and rising costs.

Nike clothes are displayed at a store in Colma, Calif., on Nov. 29, 2019. Jeff Chiu/AP Photo

Nike will resume selling its products on Amazon’s U.S. platform for the first time since 2019, the company confirmed.

The sportswear giant, which ended its direct partnership with Amazon five years ago amid a push to build its own direct-to-consumer business, said the renewed relationship is part of a broader effort to enhance its retail presence.

“Nike is investing in our marketplace to ensure we’re offering the right products, best services, and tailored experiences to consumers wherever and however they choose to shop,” the company said in a statement.

“This includes expanding to new digital accounts, including Amazon in the U.S., new physical partners like Printemps, elevating retail experiences across the marketplace, and launching Nike’s AI-powered conversational search to improve our online services.”

Amazon confirmed the renewed partnership, noting that while Nike’s products have remained available through independent sellers on its platform, the new agreement will expand selection through direct sourcing.

“While independent sellers have listed some Nike inventory in our store for many years, Amazon will soon begin sourcing a much wider range of Nike products directly, to expand our selection for U.S. customers,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “We value independent sellers, and we’re providing an extended period of time for the small number of sellers affected to sell through their inventory of overlapping items.”

During Nike’s pilot program with Amazon, which was announced in 2017, Amazon said it was working to stop sales of counterfeit Nike products on its platform.

The announcement comes on the heels of disappointing financial results. In March, Nike reported that third-quarter sales fell 9 percent year-over-year to $11.27 billion, with declines across both its direct-to-consumer and wholesale segments.

Sales through Nike-owned channels, including its website and physical stores, dropped 12 percent. Digital revenue fell 15 percent, while retail store sales slipped 2 percent.

Profitability also declined. Net income dropped 32 percent to $800 million, while earnings per share fell 30 percent to 54 cents. The company cited increased discounting, higher input costs, and elevated inventory levels as factors compressing margins.

Nike CFO Matthew Friend said in a statement that the company remains optimistic about the second half of its fiscal year, pointing to new product rollouts and efforts to “re-ignite brand momentum” despite what he called a “dynamic” operating environment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.