{"id":205999,"date":"2025-09-18T11:21:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T11:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/?p=205999"},"modified":"2025-10-21T14:36:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T14:36:03","slug":"nike-returns-to-amazon-d2c-lesson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/ecommerce\/amazon-insights\/nike-returns-to-amazon-d2c-lesson\/","title":{"rendered":"Nike Returns to Amazon: A Lesson For D2C Brands and Retailers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Nike made its bold pivot in 2020 to focus on Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) through its Consumer Direct Acceleration strategy<\/strong>, it sent ripples through the retail world.<\/p>\n

Many brands, inspired by Nike\u2019s confidence, doubled down on D2C models, chasing higher margins and stronger customer relationships.<\/p>\n

But the strategy revealed unintended consequences: the empty shelf space at retailers left by Nike was quickly filled by new, niche, and innovative brands. Instead of tracking how these competitors were winning discovery, Nike stayed focused on its existing D2C customer data.<\/p>\n

Now, Nike\u2019s return to Amazon<\/strong> signals its recognition that multichannel distribution is essential. This isn\u2019t just about where Nike sells, but how it competes.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at Nike\u2019s journey over the past few years to see how this transformation took place.<\/p>\n

The rise and fall of Nike’s D2C-only strategy<\/h2>\n

In 2020, Nike was the undisputed leader and launched its D2C-only strategy.<\/p>\n

The goal was to gain full control over the brand and customer experience, and the benefits were certainly achieved (online sales accounting for 44% of Nike’s revenue by 2023, with no immediate impact on brand KPIs), but there was a side effect of this strategy.<\/p>\n

New brands started to rise<\/h3>\n

Retailers needed full portfolios, so smaller, vertical brands specializing in running or athleisure quickly filled Nike\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n

By 2023, Nike quietly reappeared at retailers like DSW and Macy\u2019s. Still, the official return to Amazon as a 1P seller was years away.<\/p>\n

In early 2025, weak financial results forced Nike to announce major changes, including its return to Amazon, which it had exited in 2019.<\/p>\n

The negative impact was felt across the entire marketing funnel<\/h3>\n

In the UK, Nike\u2019s largest market outside the US, overall brand demand plummeted.<\/p>\n

This was most evident in search data: Google searches for the brand fell by 7% and Amazon searches dropped a staggering 22%. This significant decline in top-of-funnel interest was a clear sign that the D2C strategy had damaged the brand.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Nike’s D2C channels started declining<\/h3>\n

Further down the funnel, Nike’s D2C channels (website and app) showed significant weakness. Traffic to Nike.com decreased by 23% year-over-year (YoY), while average Monthly Active Users (MAUs) on its shopping app declined by 21%<\/strong> across both iOS and Android.<\/p>\n

It could be argued that this decline is a natural consequence of a strategic shift back to multichannel distribution, which would intentionally deprioritize D2C. However, the data suggests otherwise.<\/p>\n

During the same period, Nike product views on JDsports.co.uk, a major retail partner, also fell by 21%. Furthermore, views for Nike products sold by third-party (3P) sellers on Amazon dropped by 19% YoY.<\/p>\n

This widespread decline indicates that the problem isn’t a simple channel shift; rather, it\u2019s a broader issue of weakening brand demand that is impacting both Nike’s D2C channels and its key retail partners.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

ASICS multi-channel strategy<\/h3>\n

Nike’s declining demand becomes even more pronounced when contrasted with the success of its rival, ASICS.<\/p>\n

While Nike focused on narrowing its funnel to an existing customer base, ASICS was actively expanding its own. It did this by competing directly on shelves and offering unique product innovations that customers were seeking.<\/p>\n

The result of this strategy is evident in the data. Searches for ASICS’s “GEL” technology surged by an impressive 94% YoY, a clear sign of how effective product-led messaging can be in driving demand across multiple channels.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

The secret to retail success<\/h3>\n

The truth is, when you are focused on your own data and your own channel, you\u2019re not under competitive pressure all the time. You have a lot to improve and optimize on your own, with a large customer base.<\/p>\n

Being on the digital shelf of Amazon, with the depth of data available from this marketplace (both 1P and from market intelligence companies) and a headcount focused on optimizing it, would clearly show you where your weak points and white space growth opportunities are.<\/p>\n

It took us just 5 minutes to discover in Similarweb Shopper Intelligence that the top-growing product category in Running on Amazon UK is a running vest (+35% Revenue YoY)<\/strong>. The best seller is a low-cost brand Zelvot (over 10% of all Units Sold!), but Salomon is also capturing this trend with a price range similar to Nike.<\/p>\n

Nike, despite having a running vest product, is nowhere in the top charts.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

A strategic pivot back to Amazon<\/h2>\n

In May 2025<\/a>, Nike reversed course and officially returned to Amazon, a move designed to expand reach, boost sales, and combat counterfeiting.<\/p>\n

The results were immediate. From July onward, Nike\u2019s Amazon sales began climbing, with strong performance during key seasonal moments: Prime Day in July<\/strong> and the Back-to-School season in August<\/strong>. Unit sales surged YoY across multiple key markets:<\/p>\n