Digital Transformation in the Sports Apparel Industry. The Case of Nike, Inc.

Master's Thesis from the year 2020 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 95%, , language: English, abstract: The global revenue of the sports apparel industry is larger than it has ever been before. Digital transformation has been a driver for the industry, leading to digital innovations within the industry. This has led to the fall of market leaders while creating opportunities for new market entrants by capturing market share through leveraging new technologies. The company Nike has been the market leader in the sports apparel industry for several decades and is known to be a forerunner in innovation. The purpose of this research is to examine how digital transformation has affected Nike, Inc. and the sports apparel industry and how it will shape the future. A secondary aim is to investigate how Nike's customers perceive these changes and to scrutinize their digital needs and expectations. This research furthermore aims to conclude about the digital needs and expectations of Nike's customers and if they align with Nike's strategy. The research used a triangulation of three methods and provides a holistic analysis to make recommendations to the management of Nike. Primary research was conducted through a questionnaire-based customer survey and expert interviews with the management and specialists at Nike. Secondary research included reviewing frameworks for strategic analysis. The analysis distinguishes digital natives (i.e. aged 21 years or younger) and digital immigrants (i.e. aged above 21 years). The results showed that these two groups differ in their sales-channel preferences, digital needs and expectations. The secondary research was confirmed by the findings from the expert interviews and customer survey. Overall, Nike's digital transformation strategy appears to align with the needs and expectations of the company's customers.