The situation: Nike’s turnaround will likely take some time. In FYQ4, the company’s sales fell 12% YoY (11% on a constant-currency basis), reflecting what CFO Matthew Friend called the “largest financial impact” from the company’s reset strategy. Still, he expressed confidence that “headwinds will moderate from here,” emphasizing Nike’s focus on execution and controlling what it can. Our take: Turning around a company the size of Nike is like trying to turn around an ocean liner in rough waters. Change takes time, especially amid headwinds like tariffs and shaky demand, and execution missteps keep dragging on performance. Nike is adjusting course—leaning back into wholesale, cleaning up its inventory, and getting more surgical with product drops—but calm seas are still a ways off.

The scene: When Cooper Flagg—the odds-on favorite to be the NBA Rookie of the Year next season—steps onto the court for the first time, he’ll be wearing New Balance basketball shoes. Our take: New Balance’s push to sign Flagg, along with its other star-powered ambassadors, underscores its clear ambition to break into the top tier of global sportswear brands. While Nike and Adidas still lead by a wide margin, New Balance has its sights set on Puma, which reported $9.5 billion in sales last year—well ahead of New Balance’s $7.8 billion. To close the gap, New Balance needs to turn its growing visibility into demand, which is far from a sure thing. From there, it must maintain that momentum with consistent sales across both its performance and lifestyle lines. If Flagg lives up to the hype and the brand finds ways to ride that momentum, New Balance could take a meaningful step up the sneaker hier

Online fashion sales growth in France is stabilizing as global competitors capture market share and social platforms become more influential.

Despite political pressure, McDonald’s is standing by its commitment to inclusion. While it recently replaced “DEI” language with “inclusion,” its initiatives remain intact, per Bloomberg. That contrasts with brands like Target, Nike, and JPMorgan Chase, which have scaled back DEI and climate efforts amid conservative backlash. McDonald’s cosmetic rebranding reflects a strategic calculation: investing in programs it views as beneficial for business and essential to long-term brand equity, especially with key demographics. If it avoids major backlash, McDonald’s could offer a model for other brands weighing how to uphold values while managing political and reputational risk.

Shifting policies erode consumer spending bit by bit: Looser bank fee rules, weakening appliance and insurance standards, and rising tariffs all combine to strain household budgets.

Nike resumes selling on Amazon as tariffs threaten its turnaround: The brand is betting that an expanded retail presence will soften the blow of higher prices.

Dick’s Sporting Goods is buying Foot Locker: The deal will significantly boost the big box retailer’s market share and bargaining power—though it carries significant risk.

Urban Outfitters teams up with Nike for “On Rotation”: The Gen Z-focused in-store experience features an assortment of Nike apparel and footwear curated for UO’s audience.

On Running leans into premiumization to offset tariff impact: The company plans to raise prices as enthusiasm for its expensive sneakers remains high.

Skechers goes private in challenging time for footwear industry: The $9.4 billion deal will give the company breathing room to navigate punishingly high tariffs.

BeReal launches its US ad business: The platform is looking to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain future in the US.

Roblox has been popular with young game players for years. It brings in tens of millions of players every day. As more marketers explore activations on the platform, best practices are starting to take shape.

Nike expects more pain as external headwinds complicate its turnaround plan: The company forecast a mid-teens drop in quarterly sales as inventory struggles and tariffs take their toll.

Walmart bought a mall, Coca-Cola launched a soda, and Nike partnered with SKIMS in February, marking some of the month’s most interesting retail moves. Here are the eight most interesting retailers and brands from last month, as ranked on our “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

On Running’s marathon win streak continues in Q4: The buzzy running brand reported record profits and a 36% YoY jump in sales, with some help from Roger Federer and Zendaya.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of February. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Analyst Arielle Feger and Senior Analyst Sara Lebow will defend their list against Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

Nike partners with Skims to launch women’s activewear brand: NikeSKIMS combines the former’s performance expertise with the latter’s form-fitting style and emphasis on inclusivity.

Publicis simplifies women’s sports advertising: The initiative aggregates ad inventory and sponsorships across major leagues and networks.

Calvin Klein owner PVH blacklisted by China in retaliation for US tariffs: The company could be forced to exit the country, depriving it of an important growth market.

Deckers relies on scarcity to drive Ugg, Hoka growth: That tactic paid off with record sales and profits during the holiday quarter.