Why Nike May Struggle to Hit Its $50 Billion Sales Goal by 2020

Why Nike May Struggle to Hit Its $50 Billion Sales Goal by 2020

Mark Parker
Getty

Image via Mike Pont for Getty Images

Mark Parker

During an investors call in Oct. 2015, Nike CEO Mark Parker stated that the brand is aiming to hit $50 billion in sales revenue by 2020. While few questioned the lofty goal at the time, pressure from competitors, along with Nike's recent struggles in the market, have some analysts feeling pessimistic.

Forbes broke down Nike's chances by taking a closer look at the three categories that were singled out by Parker as key areas for growth: E-Commerce, Women's Apparel and Jordan Brand.

Nike has its sights set on generating about $7 billion through e-commerce by 2020, which would require a 42% rate of annual growth from the $1.2 billion in digital sales it posted in 2015. While e-commerce is still very strong for the brand, it has slowed down quite a bit—for the first 9 months of fiscal 2017, sales in the channel have grown by about 35%, well below the target rate. Additionally, e-commerce sales growth has declined during each quarter of the year.

Hoping to make women's wear an $11 billion business by 2020, Nike has had success tapping into the market. In recent quarters, its women's business has outpaced its men business, leading to double-digit growth overall.

Looking to double Jordan Brand's revenue to about $4.5 billion, Nike has faced stiff competition in a declining basketball market. Primarily, Under Armour has had success stealing customers behind the success of Stephen Curry's signature line.

The Trefis Team concludes that while not impossible, it's looking less likely that Nike will be able to hit $50 billion in revenue by 2020. Main factors include disappointing digital performance and increased competition in the market. They do, however, still have three years to turn things around.