> Donahoe accelerated the direct-to-consumer transition, terminating hundreds of wholesale accounts
I'd love to know the reasoning behind this transition. When I want to buy some shoes, I'd like to go to a physical store, and I _usually_ am not going to look for a specific brand, unless I'm a big fan of a sportsperson who endorses Nike and maybe they've started a product line with them. I'm going to see, compare with other shoes and make a decision. D2C is not going to work in such a flow?
If my shoes are not there with other shoes, then I might as well not exist, because I'm not even considered during the comparison phase of shopping.
But this is just me, I don't know how most people shop for shoes and would like to understand more.
Athletes go through shoes pretty quickly. If you had a pair of Nike shoes for your sport and liked them but they're worn out then you'll probably buy the same ones online again.
I’m not a professional athlete, but I run and walk recreationally daily for at least a couple of hours. A pair of shoes lasts me about 9-12 months on average. I used to be very picky about my shoes trying dozens of models in store before finding the one that fit me perfectly. But once I found the match, I’ve started buying the exact same model again online at the discount websites, currently on my 4th pair.
My shoes are Hoka Speedgoat, 2 pairs of 5s, 2 pairs of 6s so far. I find both models equally comfortable, but I can see the durability of 6s is worse than 5s. Some of the upper parts of the shoe that were previously made of a solid material are a tape covered mesh in the newer model, which wears out much faster.
None of my shoes have broke fast enough for me to start looking for an alternative, as going to a store and trying out every model on sale to find my ideal match is a long and tiring process compared to buying another pair of a known good model online, so I'm sticking with them so far. Which is all probably a part of their business strategy.
I'd love to know the reasoning behind this transition. When I want to buy some shoes, I'd like to go to a physical store, and I _usually_ am not going to look for a specific brand, unless I'm a big fan of a sportsperson who endorses Nike and maybe they've started a product line with them. I'm going to see, compare with other shoes and make a decision. D2C is not going to work in such a flow?
If my shoes are not there with other shoes, then I might as well not exist, because I'm not even considered during the comparison phase of shopping.
But this is just me, I don't know how most people shop for shoes and would like to understand more.