Nike

The brand known for its running shoes is making its mark in the basketball business after signing 18-year-old NBA Draft top pick Cooper Flagg.

In their own ways, both companies will provide major updates on how they plan to win back customers.

Dick’s Sporting Goods’ acquisition of Foot Locker will have impacts on the rest of the industry, from brands such as Nike and Adidas to rival retailers like JD Sports.

Brands from streetwear to beauty are connecting with young audiences by turning product drops into fun-filled events involving games, quests and competitions.

The sportswear company is assembling executives and designers to operate the new brand with Skims, with plans to release its first womenswear collection this spring.

Chinese influencers have taken to TikTok to encourage American consumers to buy directly from China, in light of President Trump’s 145 percent levy on the leading manufacturing country.

Just a few years ago, designer sneakers were an “it” item driving huge sales. Today the situation has changed, though they still have their place in luxury’s arsenal.

According to its annual report, Nike produced 50 percent of its footwear and 28 percent of its apparel in Vietnam in its 2024 fiscal year.

Sales of the Nike Dunk are expected to drop 70 percent over two years as new CEO Elliott Hill scales classic sneakers back to make way for new designs. Hill seeks to remedy Nike’s inventory problem by renewing its longtime strategy of maintaining enough supply scarcity to boost popularity among consumers.

The activewear brand’s shares dropped almost 5 percent after CFO Matthew Friend said he expects fourth-quarter revenue to decline by more than analyst expectations in Nike’s third-quarter earnings call. Nike’s turnaround effort faces weak consumer spending and fallout from President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war.