On Tuesday, December 16, we’ll be hosting a call to review our next Black Book, which will be focused on the Athletic footwear and apparel space. Specific names include Nike, Adidas, UnderArmour, Foot Locker, Hibbett, Dick’s, and Finish Line – which collectively offer up a good mix of longs and shorts. We’ll follow up closer to the date (which is two days before when Nike will likely print it’s 2Q earnings) with a full agenda of the issues we’ll cover.
Key Topics Will Include:
- Nike’s innovation timeline – and why the next two years will be far different than most people think.
- The results of our latest consumer survey on how safe/at risk the Athletic category is relative to others vis-à-vis online cannibalization.
- Nike’s willingness (or lack thereof) to grow around its wholesale distribution – as it has historically protected this model at all costs.
- The sustainability of Nike’s revenue engine.
- The competitive landscape in Athletic product creation – most notably, quantifying the rise of UnderArmour and the malaise we’re seeing at Adidas.
- What retailers can do to play their cards right and continue to win as Nike grows.
- Which retailers in the US face the biggest business risk, whether through lower revenue, higher costs, or both, to compete in the new reality of Athletic retail.
