Finding the right fit

THE NIKE-NYKAAARRANGEMENT IS A REMINDER FOR GLOBAL BRANDS THAT INDIA NEEDS ITS OWN PLAYBOOK

- CHRISTINA MONIZ

STARTING THIS MONTH global sportswear maker Nike shifted its e-commerce operations to beauty and fashion marketplace Nykaa to address poor logistics, high delivery times and inventory niggles. With Nykaa in charge, the brand said, customers can expect free shipping on all orders and faster deliveries ranging from two to four days depending on the location.

The change comes at a time when Nike is struggling to cope with declining market share and operational and supply-side issues in India. Its physical store count in the country has dropped by half in the past ten years — to 100 from over 200 a decade ago. Nike in India undertook major restructuring of its business between 2016 and 2019, closing 35% of its stores in those three years to take a more digital-first approach.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. The brand reported a 14% growth in sales in the fiscal ending March 2025 to clock ₹1,380 crore. But it is well behind competing brands such as Puma (3,274 crore) and Adidas (3,114 crore), both of which have over 400 stores across the country.