A tweet circulated by Brendan Dunne of Complex, which reports mostly about sneakers, has raised new doubts about the Swoosh’s ability to service its retail clients in the U.S. due to the current supply chain disruption, sending down slightly Nike’s share price and that of some major U.S. retailers. Dunne shared an e-mail sent by Nike to an unidentified U.S. retailer – presumably a small one – cancelling future orders made for the balance of this year and the spring/summer 2022 season, due to supply chain challenges. It also said that Nike would not offer at-once orders until further notice. Reports from the U.S. indicate that other independent retailers have received similar notices from Nike. Recalling a famous quote by Winston Churchill, “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” our colleagues in the U.S. are wondering whether Nike is taking an opportunity to accelerate its strategy of pruning “undifferentiated retailers.” Adidas and Asics have been going in the same direction in Europe, and probably also elsewhere.

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