According to a news report from CNBC:
- Nike is planning to cut off thousands of online distributors in China and restructure its online presence to create a more consistent consumer experience.
- Beginning in January, the company will concentrate online sales through its own website and app, as well as official storefronts on Tmall, JD.com and Douyin.
- The strategy shift could lead to a decline in revenue in the region but is designed to create a healthier marketplace overall.
Will Nike boost up China's online sales in 2027 after cutting off current online-distribution partners?
Nike is planning to cut off thousands of online distributors in China beginning in January as the sneaker giant looks to clean up what’s become a messy digital marketplace and get the region back to growth.
Starting next year, Nike’s online footprint will shift primarily to the retailer’s official website and app, and the storefronts it operates on Tmall, JD.com and Douyin, some of China’s largest online marketplaces and social platforms.
Currently, consumers can shop Nike through all of those channels as well as thousands of other online storefronts powered by Nike’s brick-and-mortar partners in the region and a network of secondary distributors. While the vast digital network has led to widespread consumer access to Nike’s products, it’s also created an inconsistent branding and pricing experience and hampered the company’s efforts to reverse a sales decline in the region.
Source:
1 CNBC; https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/21/nike-to-cut-off-thousands-of-online-distributors-in-china.html
