Nike to cut 1,400 roles as ‘Win Now’ strategy enters next phase

Sportswear giant Nike has confirmed another series of layoffs as it continues to move forward with its ongoing ‘Win Now’ turnaround strategy.

The company confirmed to FootwearNews (FN) that approximately 1,400 operations roles have been cut across North America, Europe and Asia, representing less than 2 percent of Nike’s global team.

The "significant changes” are said to be underway globally, and centre largely around streamlining certain team structures. It was noted that those impacted would hear directly from their leaders and HR starting April 23.

The brand’s technology division will be among those impacted as it moves towards a setup prioritising speed. Focus will now be placed on two hubs: Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon, and the Nike India Technology Centre.

At Converse, Nike is also planning to move some of the footwear brand’s manufacturing and engineering resources closer to factory partners, while its materials supply chain will come under the umbrella of Nike’s own footwear and apparel teams, FN said.

A memo seen by the media outlet and issued by chief operating officer Venkatesh Alagirisamy stated that the layoffs were part of “deliberate steps to strengthen” the company’s foundation and build a simplified business model designed to deliver long-term profitable growth.

Algirisamy continued: “Over the coming months, we will continue evolving global operations to better serve athletes and the business with more speed, simplicity, and precision. Some of that work is happening now and more will continue over time as we align our teams, capabilities, and footprint to the future needs of the company.”

This latest round of layoffs follows a prior job cuts in January that impacted 775 roles across Nike’s US distribution centres. At Converse, meanwhile, a separate restructuring process initiated in February also resulted in job cuts, specific details of which were not disclosed.