Essay on Market Conditions Competitive Analysis

Nike, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area. It is the world 's leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment, with revenue in excess of US$24.1 billion in its fiscal year 2012 (ending May 31, 2012). As of 2012, it employed more than 44,000 people worldwide. The brand alone is valued at $10.7 Billion making it the most valuable brand among sports businesses. Nike and Precision Castparts are the only Fortune

For Nike's business model to continually flourish and stay profitable, the senior management team and strategic planners must continually monitor short, intermediate and long-term economic factors that will affect their operations. Nike's business model is heavily dependent on supply chains, as the majority of their products are manufactured in Asian nations, either in their own manufacturing centers or contract manufacturing partners. Sales forecasts for next-generation shoes, apparel and sporting equipment must be accurate to ensure the supply chain estimates and forecasts can meet product demand. The influence of economic factors on sales and marketing planning and strategy development is among the most immediate and significant for any enterprise operating in global markets (Cerullo, Avila, 1975). Strategic planners at Nike, working in conjunction with product development and product launch teams, must understand the price elasticity of demand for a given new product or an entirely new division before launching it. Economic data gives Nike senior management and strategic planners the insight necessary to determine which new products to launch or not, when, and in which specific regions of the world. Economic variables will in short tell Nike's senior management how to navigate risk and capitalize on opportunities as quickly as possible.

Nike was founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight. The two men met when Bowerman was coaching track and field at the University of Oregon and Knight was a middle distance runner on his team. After earning an MBA from Standford, Knight returned to Oregon and approached Bowerman with an idea to bring in low priced, high-tech athletic shoes from Japan to compete in the United States athletic shoe market. With a handshake and a five hundred dollar investment by both men, Blue Ribbon Sports was born in 1964. BRS began importing shoes from Onitsuka Tiger, with Knight making sales at high school track meets and Bowerman

In the athletic apparel industry, as in any industry, it is key to stay in touch with the current trends in order to keep your products relevant. With Lululemon focused on such a niche activity it will be important that they explore other markets within the sports apparel industry in the future so as to stay relevant. We can see the company’s first steps in doing just this when they recently introduced their men’s apparel line. A summary of the athletic apparel industry’s external environment are listed in Exhibit 1.

Sportsman Shoes has been a leader in the shoe industry for more than thirty years. Sportsman manufactures and sells athletic shoes for all types of sports. The company has pursued a low-cost strategy in order to sustain their success. They sell a limited number of shoe designs and have held costs low through manufacturing efficiency and standardized operations. However, the past five years have been a struggle at Sportsman. The shoe market has seen a rise in the availability of low-cost imported shoes that has threatened Sportsman’s competitive position. As a result, company executives have decided it is time for a strategy shift.

NIKE Inc., known for its athletic shoes, apparel, and it wide variety of sporting goods is located in the state of Oregon. NIKE Inc. previously known as Blue Ribbon Sports was originated in 1964 with the idea of importing shoes from Japan and sells them locally. Once successful, the founders, Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, decided to market their own brand of athletic shoes. As a result, NIKE Inc. was established. From there, NIKE Inc. has a long history of success in producing quality, durable athletic merchandise that focuses on the athlete. In

Nike is the English version of the name of the Greek goddess Nike, which, according to legend, helped the Greeks to win on the battlefield. The American company Nike has transferred this meaning to their products - shoes, which help to achieve great sporting achievements. History of the brand had started with a search for the founders of the niche of sports footwear in the US market, which was free that time. In the early 60-is of Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight founded the company, the initial capital of it was $ 1,000. Phil Knight decided to develop high quality sports shoes in the United States, produced in Asia and sold in the United States. The company originally existed under the name Blue Ribbon Sports, but in 1971

The sportswear industry is growing and becoming more competitive so the will be new producers and entries in the market with new ‘’aces up their sleeves’’. More competition in the market

Nike subcontracts the production process of its footwear to 900 contract factories located worldwide with Asian developing countries such as China, Indonesia and Vietnam accounting for the bulk of total world production. Production of the footwear is based on a vertically integrated model. In the primary stage, raw materials such as rubber, leather and plastic are extracted from places located in close proximity from the factories. In the secondary stage, the extracted resources are sent to the factories or “Sweatshops” for manufacturing. It should be noted that the whole production process of Nike footwear are being carried out by independent private contractors.

Currently, Nike stand as a leading figure in producing high quality sports and fitness equipment and apparels. Bearing just a simple start of selling Japanese imported shoes from a station wagon has transformed

Phil Knight and his track coach Bill Bowerman founded Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. The company started as being a distributor of Onituska Tiger athletic shoes which were imported from Japan. In 1971 they broke away from Onituska and created their own of shoes. The company was renamed, Nike. It became the largest worldwide seller of athletic shoes. They branched out and created various products lines; shoes, clothing, sporting goods and digital devices. They used celebrities to promote their products. The first athlete to wear and promote their show was runner Steve Prefontaine. Their now well know swoosh was first seen in the 1972 US Track and Field Trials. Every basketball player in high school wanted a pair of Michael Jordan’s,

After sluggish focus and growth in the 1980ies, Nike experienced strong growth in the 1990ies and cemented the position as global recognizable brand. The increased international focus created strains on the supply chain, which was consider inadequate to cater efficiently to the organization and the rapid changes consumer demands . As a consequence of the afore mentioned supply chain problem Nike faced inefficient inventory management, problems in flow of goods and poor demand

The athletic footwear industry includes all producers of shoes designed in an athletic style or for an athletic use. We define the active footwear industry as an industry that manufactures shoes for active lifestyles. The primary focus of this analysis is on the United States market as it represents roughly 32% of the overall footwear market (PRWeb,

Nike, Inc., precedent denomination was (1964–78) Blue Ribbon Sports, is an American sportswear company that is located in Beaverton, Oregon. It was founded in 1964 and it was called Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman, a track-and-field coach at the University of Oregon, and his former student Phil Knight. The first retail shop was opened in 1966 and they launched the first Nike brand shoes in 1972. The company transmute the denomination and commence operate

Nike began as an enterprise in Oregon with its founder, sports enthusiast Phil Knight. In 1962, Nike started under the name Blue Ribbon Sports. During this time, the athletic shoe industry was dominated by the Adidas and Puma companies. Knight recognized there was segment of serious athletes that had specialized needs that were not being addressed by the major companies.