The Guardian reported on June 26 that Asics has announced to some of its customers that it will join Nike and Adidas in leaving smaller retailers in the UK in favor of large chains such as Sports Direct and JD Sports, as well as selling directly online. The newspaper is referring to an email that retailers are said to have received from the Japanese footwear brand. This could threaten the existence of the independent sports retailers involved, according to some interviews conducted by The Guardian.
Asics has become an important brand for many smaller retailers in recent years, after Nike and Adidas had already pulled out. According to the article, some retailers are responding by replacing Asics with smaller names – hoping that the brand will eventually realize that without a trusted relationship with specialty retailers who can customize specialty footwear, it’s difficult to attract new fans and retain long-term customers. If so, it would be likely that the brand would try to return to independent retail.
Asics has yet to comment on the reports.
