If you’re looking for a pair of Nike’s on Amazon, you might soon be out of luck. According to reports, Amazon will will stop selling Nike products in the near future.
According to CBS News, Nike is seeking a “more direct, personal relationships” with customers.
“We will continue to invest in strong, distinctive partnerships for Nike with other retailers and platforms to seamlessly serve our consumers globally,” Nike told CBS News.
While Nike will continue selling its products at other retailers, according to CNBC , Nike is looking to continue expanding its direct-to-consumer business. It is doing so by investing in Nike stores and its mobile app.
Nike worked with Amazon in 2017 to offer some of its products in exchange for Amazon policing its platform for counterfeit Nike products, CNBC reported.
Nike said it will continue to use Amazon’s cloud-computing unit, Amazon Web Services, to power its apps and Nike.com services.
Amazon, through a spokeswoman, declined comment. But the company has been preparing for the move, according to two people familiar with the matter. It has been recruiting third-party sellers with Nike products so that the merchandise is still widely available on the site, they said.
“Just because Nike walks away from Amazon doesn’t mean its products walk away from Amazon and doesn’t mean its brand problems disappear,” said James Thomson, a former Amazon employee who now helps brands sell products online through Buy Box Experts. “Even if every single Nike product isn’t on Amazon, there will be enough of a selection that someone looking for Nike on Amazon will find something to buy.”
Many brands have expressed frustration that Amazon doesn’t do enough to fight counterfeits. They also fear that giving Amazon too much control over prices will devalue their products.
