Andrea Dorigo is senior vice president of Adidas and head of retail. He will oversee the activities of the brand’s 2,500 stores worldwide. With the sports giant focusing on its approach to direct sales, which already accounted for 38 per cent of its sales last year, this is a highly strategic position.
Due to complications in the Chinese market, Adidas is in the process of closing and adapting its network in the Middle Kingdom, where it had up to 12,000 points of sale. For the third quarter, Adidas’ currency-neutral revenues increased four per cent.
Deteriorating traffic trends in Greater China as well as slowing consumer demand in major Western markets weighed on the revenue development. In addition, the company’s decision to suspend its own operations in Russia significantly reduced revenues during the third quarter, particularly impacting the company’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) business. Excluding Russia/CIS, revenues in the company’s own distribution channels were up at a double-digit rate, reflecting the successful sell-through of Adidas’ products. Within DTC, the company’s e-commerce revenues increased eight per cent.
Dorigo is a retail expert who has evolved in various companies, marketing very different types of products. He has been with Estee Lauder, Pirch, Oakley, Brooks Brothers.