Nike shuts down NZ online store

From October, the footwear giant has announced it will be shutting down its app and Nike.com for New Zealand sneakerheads. 

The company has not commented on why it has made the decision, with an update on its New Zealand site stating only that, “At Nike, we’re constantly evaluating our marketplace to best serve consumers through premium products, experiences, and services.

Starting 3 October 2023 00:00 NZDT, Nike.com online shopping and the Nike App will no longer be available in New Zealand.

We’ll continue to serve consumers in New Zealand our latest innovations at physical Nike-branded stores and our multi-brand retail partners. You can continue to shop your favourite Nike products by visiting a retail store near you.”

Shoppers can still purchase from the app and website right up until midnight on October 2, 2023 and the company has confirmed its five physical stores across the country will not be affected at this stage.

Nike’s other apps will still be on offer in New Zealand, including the Nike Run Club and Nike Training Club, which offer users guided workouts and training advice.

Nike has experienced a resurgence in recent years as the footwear category has fallen into favour among the younger demographic. In 2020, the brand alone was valued in excess of $32 billion, making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses. In 2018, it reported a revenue of $36,397 million USD and in 2022, this had grown to $46,710 million USD.  

Speculation over why this decision to halt online operations in New Zealand was made points towards cost saving measures for the company as it has no distribution centre in New Zealand and online orders were sourced from overseas. The company is yet to comment on the move or give any indication as to whether other markets can expect the same.