How long should a store be open before applying for a Nike account?

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Dec 13, 2012
I just opened a sneaker boutique in N.C. and I'm trying to get a nike retail account but I'm hearing that you have to be open for at least a year before Nike will open with you. Has anybody else heard anything about this?
 
Have you also heard that they will make you sell a lot of garbage products before they give you anything good?
 
Have you also heard that they will make you sell a lot of garbage products before they give you anything good?
True to an extent. You have to buy more bad product to get the good stuff. The good stuff you get is in proportion to the bad stuff you buy which is why many independent stores get stuck with garbage no one wants and often raise prices on highly coveted items.

If you haven't already, you're going to have to go through a middleman to keep product flowing into your store. If you ever get the chance to deal with Nike, make sure that your credit doesn't get out of hand. They will not hesitate to kill your account.

Good luck with the store because its an over saturated market right now. Everyone has a store or boutique.
 
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Where I'm at is wide open. We've got the footaction in the mall, but they dont even get really good inline releases. No kobe's no kd's only the basic lebrons, no melo's, no cp3's, no foams. A few J's. I've got accounts with every other major manufacturer, just not Nike yet. I've even spoken to a few Nike sales reps. The problem is that the sales dept is diff from the department that opens accounts. Once my account is opened, I know I'm getting heat. I'm just not trying to jeopordise my chances with Nike by applying too soon.
 
Nike always wants to make sure you're sustainable without their product, because they want to make sure your business isn't too dependent on their products. If you can show them you can survive without them for more than a year then you're pretty much good unless they find out about something about your business or account Most businesses that fail, fail within their first year, hence the waiting period. I'm not sure how long they make you wait now, but it use to be like 1-2 years before they gave you an account, unless you know someone.
 
If you do a search you will find a very informative post about this, I hope it hasn't disappeared since we switched over but its about the different type of accounts. Best of luck!!!
 
If you do a search you will find a very informative post about this, I hope it hasn't disappeared since we switched over but its about the different type of accounts. Best of luck!!!

Very informative post indeed. Also somewhat of a dream shatterer :lol:

Nike basically makes you jump through all kinds of hoops to get the kind of account we all would like to have. Basically you're just better off opening a consignment type shop nowadays and let the people bring you the product vs. Nike themselves..... Well at least that's what I took out of it.
 
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Yeah. I read those posts a while ago, but nobody posted anything new in a while and I know the way they handle accounts tend to change from time to time so I wanted to ask again.
 
Nike always wants to make sure you're sustainable without their product, because they want to make sure your business isn't too dependent on their products. If you can show them you can survive without them for more than a year then you're pretty much good unless they find out about something about your business or account Most businesses that fail, fail within their first year, hence the waiting period. I'm not sure how long they make you wait now, but it use to be like 1-2 years before they gave you an account, unless you know someone.
Thats what I was thinking. We're doing relatively well without Nike so hopefully we'll be able to make it this 1st year without them. We've got top tier accounts with Reebok, New Balance, Asics & hopefully Adidas in January, but you know everybody in this game dreams of the Tier 0 with Nike. Thanks for responding.
 
Very informative post indeed. Also somewhat of a dream shatterer
laugh.gif


Nike basically makes you jump through all kinds of hoops to get the kind of account we all would like to have. Basically you're just better off opening a consignment type shop nowadays and let the people bring you the product vs. Nike themselves..... Well at least that's what I took out of it.
By selling consignment DS, will Nike "black ball" your store in the future? Lets say I purchase DS on wholesale from an independent seller, and in turn resell them in my store. Would Nike not hold this over my head down the road?
 
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