Nike Confirms New Pilot Partnership With Amazon

(RTTNews) - Nike Inc.'s Chief Executive Officer Mark Parker confirmed reports that it is starting a pilot program to sell some items directly through Amazon.com Inc. In a call with investors on Thursday, Parker said that Amazon would carry a limited Nike product assortment.

Nike's products are already available on Amazon through unlicensed and licensed third-party vendors. But with a direct partnership, Nike is expected to gain more control over how its products are marketed on the site and to fight the distribution of counterfeit items.

Parker reportedly said, "In the US, we're executing a new pilot with Amazon with a limited Nike product assortment. As we do with all of our partners, we're looking for ways to improve the Nike consumer experience on Amazon by elevating the way the brand is presented and increasing the quality of product storytelling. We're in the early stages, but we look forward to evaluating the results of the pilot."

Last week, Goldman Sachs had hinted that a Nike/Amazon deal was in the works.

He added that the company plans to make big shifts in the year ahead to its business. As per reports, the latest partnership is part of an effort to revamp Nike's sales tactics amid the ongoing weakness in brick-and-mortar stores.

The sportswear giant in its fourth quarter reported revenue up 5%, bringing in $8.7 billion, while growth in North America was said to be weak. On June 15, the company said that it's laying off more than 1,000 workers.

Rivals Adidas and Under Armour are said to have large, custom storefronts on Amazon.