Nike is cutting 775 jobs in the US, most of them at warehouses in Mississippi and Tennessee, as first reported by CNBC. In a statement to the network, Nike has said the cuts are to “reduce complexity, improve flexibility, and build a more responsive, resilient, responsible, and efficient operation.”
“We’re taking steps to strengthen and streamline our operations so we can move faster, operate with greater discipline, and better serve athletes and consumers,” Nike’s statement reads. “We are sharpening our supply chain footprint, accelerating the use of advanced technology and automation, and investing in the skills our teams need for the future.”
A company spokesman tells Fast Company similar things.
This is the third time in three years that Nike has cut jobs. In mid-2024, with former CEO John Donahoe at the helm and amid a decline in sales, Nike cut about 2 percent of its staff worldwide. In mid-2025, with new CEO Elliott Hill settling in, Nike cut another 1 percent, from corporate staff in the US and Canada.
According to CNBC, citing “people familiar with the matter,” Nike, in effecting its pivot to DTC, increased warehouse staff to a level that present-day volumes cannot sustain.
That pivot dates back to Donahoe’s predecessor, Mark Parker, CEO from 2006 to 2020. It was called the “Consumer Direct Offense” (CDO) and was announced – with its own staff cuts – in June 2017.
