What: The Robin Report reviews the evolution of DTC stores at Nike and how they used the learnings on the way to craft their new iteration.

Why it is important: Nike is not about sport or performance, but wellness, which is a lucrative USD 1.5bn market.

Nike introduced its House of Innovation as a blend of an interactive museum and store in 2018, with locations in New York, Paris, and Shanghai. As part of its "Move to Zero" sustainability initiative, Nike has pledged to produce products with at least 20% recycled content, achieve 100% renewable energy in their facilities by 2025, reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2030, and divert 99% of footwear manufacturing waste from landfills.

Parallelly, Nike shifted its retail strategy by cutting ties with some long-term wholesalers and focused on localized and personalized retail experiences, launching several prototype store concepts, such as Nike Live and Nike Rise. The recent addition is the "Nike Well Collective" stores, which focus on holistic fitness, particularly tailored for women, and are designed according to the local market needs.

Nike is promoting its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) model without sidelining its wholesale commitments, exemplified by a collaborative approach between the new Collective stores and Dick's House of Sport, whereby they refer customers to each other based on merchandise availability. The goal is a harmonious balance between DTC and wholesale channels.

Nike’s DTC stores development culminates with the new Nike Well Collective