In a new chapter of their longstanding sports apparel rivalry, Nike appears to have the upper hand over Adidas at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
According to new data compiled by the London Stock Exchange Group’s Refinitiv and Centric Pricing, Nike has sold out of 17% of its World Cup merchandise compared to just 9% at Adidas.
(It’s very much worth noting that the figures were derived from sales in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany; the former three’s national teams use Nike for their uniforms.)
Among the teams experiencing the highest rates of sellouts are Colombia (Adidas), Australia (Nike), and Germany (Adidas).
Nike is getting more bang for its buck with each sale, as its average original price point for adult shirts and jerseys is $99 compared to Adidas’ $93.
The American-based company is also raking in more cash through fewer deals and promotions: Only 6% of Nike’s national team merchandise is on sale, whereas it’s 35% at Adidas. Nike’s average discount rate (2%) is also much lower than Adidas’ (15%).
It all continues a trend from before the World Cup where Nike had sold out 11% of its tournament merchandise vs. 4% at Adidas, per LSEG and Centric Pricing’s data.
“[The data] suggests that Nike is better poised to gain higher profits from the Women’s World Cup,” Refinitiv’s director of consumer research Jharonne Martis told Front Office Sports in a statement.
Nike outfits 13 of the teams at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, while Adidas provides for 10. Nine countries use other manufacturers, with Puma being the only other company to outfit multiple teams (Morocco and Switzerland).
All of this said, Adidas is probably not sweating these details too much, as it has had plenty of other success in the soccer world of late.
The German company is FIFA’s official ball supplier for the World Cup and will be through 2030; soccer retailers have reported strong sales of the 2023 edition to consumers thus far.
Adidas also experienced a frenzy of sales following Lionel Messi’s massive move to Inter Miami, which — like all MLS teams — is outfitted by Adidas. One soccer retailer sold out of six months of Inter Miami stock in the 24 hours following reports Messi would join the team.
