Adidas in shake-up to get fit

SPORTING goods giant Adidas is shaking up its management structures in North America and western Europe as it seeks to boost growth.

By The Newsroom

Published 23rd Oct 2013, 01:01 BST

The world’s second largest sporting apparel firm, which sponsors a host of stars including Yorkshire’s Jessica Ennis-Hill, has been losing ground to bigger rival Nike in North America and Europe this year. While Nike’s sales in North America and western Europe rose nine and eight per cent in its fiscal first quarter, Adidas reported falls of 11 per cent in western Europe and two per cent in North America in its second quarter.

Adidas is bringing its country-by-country structures together in western Europe. A spokeswoman said the move reflects the set-up of many of its retail partners, which are not present in just one country, but across regions. “Country borders are becoming less relevant for our consumers and customers,” said CEO Herbert Hainer.