Thanks to the sharp rise of secondary markets, the accessibility of bot programs, and backdooring, buying sneakers at retail is harder than ever. With consumer outrage continuing to bubble to a boil, Nike has decided to take a stand, outlining its forward strategy to combat resellers on its platforms.
It's no secret that Nike's platforms, namely the SNKRS app, have been riddled with a bot problem for a long time. The issue isn't exclusive to Nike, with raffle entries and direct-to-consumer sales dominated by automated software.
Traditionally, resellers have relied on their network of contacts in distribution and stores to backdoor exclusive pairs ahead of release, now; however, bots remove the need for any of that.
That being said, it was only earlier this year that longtime Nike VP Ann Heber was forced to resign after it was discovered that her 19-year-old son was running a resale platform with monthly revenue of $200,000.
This, understandably, caused a huge rift between Nike and its consumers. Trust had been broken – so what would be done?
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Nike has updated its US shoppers with new rules, outlining how it looks to combat the flood of resellers that have taken advantage of its systems.
The strategy outlines plans to cancel orders placed with automated ordering software or technology on its website or apps.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that consumers using these technologies for resale could be charged restocking fees, declined refunds, or have their accounts suspended. This follows Nike cracking down on customizers and resale sites
For those that have fallen out of love with the sneaker game due to the sharp prices associated with the resale market and the inability to secure pairs independently at retail, this is great news, but is it enough?
