Some anti-Israel advocates have been quick to attribute the recent announcement that Nike will cease various operations in the Jewish state beginning May of next year to the Oregon-based corporation’s support for the boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS) movement.
In a letter circulated last week, the sportswear giant announced to Israeli retailers that “the continuation of the business relationship between you and the company does no longer match the company’s policy and goals.”
Nike representatives have not commented publicly since the announcement and HonestReporting has not been able to ascertain whether the multi-national’s restructuring is also being implemented in other countries.
That said, no clear evidence has thus far emerged suggesting Nike’s decision is anything but a business one.
But that did not stop British online newspaper The Independent from lending credence to the BDS claim in an article titled “Nike to End Sales in Israeli Stores.” The story, written by Olivia Petter, states that Nike has declared its intention “to terminate sales in Israel as of next year.”
Untrue.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the sporting goods behemoth is committed to directing Israeli “customers to buy its shoes, clothing, and gear on its website and in company-owned stores.”
According to the Nike website, the company operates 15 retail locations across Israel. None of these are expected to close as the company pivots to a more direct sales model.
Nevertheless, The Independent’s report implies that the initiative is somehow related to the BDS campaign.
Midway through the article, readers are told that “the decision follows the announcement that ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s would end sales in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
The fact of the matter, though, is that Nike has in recent years moved to reduce the number of stores with which it deals, seeking instead to maximize direct transactions through its outlets and online sites. This transition has been made deliberately and is documented clearly online, with numerous news sources covering the matter.
An article in Quartz magazine in June 2021 observes:
The shift is part of a strategy Nike announced in 2017 called the ‘consumer direct offense.’ A key element entails increasing Nike’s own sales to shoppers through its own immersive stores and digital channels, notably its suite of apps, including SNKRS, where it launches limited release products. Direct sales tend to have better margins since there’s no middleman taking a cut.”
Indeed, The Jerusalem Post report refers to this shift, noting: “The company also ended its relationship with Amazon in 2019,” a move explained by Nike’s belief that “it can earn much higher profits and control its premium product experience by managing the entire sales process itself.”
But The Independent’s readers are not informed of Nike’s global strategy. Instead, Israel is treated as an isolated case and no context is provided.
Hi @Oliviapetter1, why have you published #FakeNews?@NikeStore is ending sales to small, independent retailers so as to *focus on sales in their own outlets*, including their brand new "Hall of Innovation" in Tel Aviv (joining NYC, Paris, Shanghai). https://t.co/uZqI2zmqqv pic.twitter.com/x7wmUESuYS
— Daniel Laufer (@lauferdaniel) October 8, 2021
Most importantly, Nike has not stated that it is terminating its business activities in Israel.
Notably, The Independent article cites a piece published by the Muslim Brotherhood-linked MEMO, which has a history of anti-Israel smears and been accused of disseminating pro-Hamas propaganda.
If this represents the current state of journalism, it is no wonder why so many Israel-related stories contain misleading insinuations, disinformation and outright falsehoods.
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