Nike is proving during the pandemic that its big bets in digital are paying off, as consumers are turning to its website and app in record numbers to shop for sneakers and workout apparel.
For the past few years, the company has been pulling away from department stores and other wholesale outlets, instead investing in opening its own smaller neighborhood stores, called “Nike Live,” to serve as pickup hubs for online orders, alongside multilevel flagship locations dubbed “House of Innovation.” It also is testing a new concept that debuted earlier this year in Guangzhou, China, called “Nike Rise,” where visitors can use their Nike app once inside the space to sign up for local soccer matches and running clubs.
