Foot Locker’s quarterly results missed Wall Street’s expectations as total sales decreased due to Gen Alpha and Gen Z’s “cautious” spending habits.
The sneaker retailing giant’s total sales were down 5.8% for the year, partially attributed to Nike, its largest brand partners, use of discounts to clear out old inventory.
This has caused Gen Z and Gen Alpha to flock to Nike’s low prices that Foot Locker cannot match.
“Our customers are young. By definition, they’re more limited in their discretionary budgets. This is for sure a category that they prioritize in their lives,” Foot Locker’s CEO and President, Mary Dillon, said on Foot Locker company conference call.
However, Dillon said that despite the discount battle, Foot Locker and Nike’s relationship remains “strong” and an ongoing partnership.
Dillon also attributed Foot Locker’s low sales to short-term consequences of the company’s “Lace Up” strategy, which aims to grow Foot Locker’s revenue from 8 billion to 10 billion by 2026.
The “Lace Up” strategy is a multipronged plan aiming to relaunch the brand’s real estate by shutting down low-performing locations, diversifying the brand portfolio mix, revitalizing a loyalty program, and investing in customer-focused technology.
Dillon expressed on the conference call that through continuing to implement “Lace Up,” Foot Locker hopes to attract spending year-round in its younger spenders.
In other efforts to remain relevant and competitive, in the fourth quarter, Foot Locker shut down 47 locations, opened 7 new stores, remodeled or relocated 21 stores, and refreshed 160 stores.
“Reflecting on 2024 overall, we made significant progress in elevating our in-store experience with our new Reimagined doors and store refresh program, enhancing our digital and mobile capabilities, expanding engagement,” Dillon said.
