- Nike has permanently closed at least 15 Nike Live stores across 12 states, per Retail Dive.
- The concept launched in 2018 on Melrose Avenue with footprints planned at roughly 4K SF.
- The closures land during a punishing year that included a 12-year stock low and a JPMorgan downgrade.
According to Bisnow, Nike is closing at least 15 stores it opened under the Nike Live banner. The format was built to serve shoppers in their own neighborhoods. Retail Dive reported that the locations are now permanently closed. The list spans 12 states and includes the original Melrose Avenue store in Los Angeles.
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A Small Format Bet That Began in 2018
Nike Live opened its first door on Melrose Avenue in 2018. At the time, the stores were small by design, planned at about 4K SF each. Moreover, Nike pitched the format as a way to grow direct-to-consumer sales. By 2020, the company said it could open as many as 200 locations worldwide. Retail Dive reported that target at the time. However, Nike has never said how many were open at the format’s peak. Eventually, the banner was folded into Nike Well Collective in 2023.
The Details
The closed stores sit in 12 states. For example, they include California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and New York. Meanwhile, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas round out the list. A Nike spokesperson told Retail Dive that the company regularly reviews its fleet. Accordingly, the statement described the moves as elevating stores and streamlining the physical retail footprint. Ultimately, Nike framed the work as building what it calls “Nike’s future marketplace.”
A Rough Stretch for the Brand
The closures arrive in a difficult year. Nike stock hit a 12-year low, down roughly 78% from its record close. That record was $177.51 in November 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported. JPMorgan moved its rating to underweight from neutral, according to Quartz. Sales in China, once a dependable growth market, have been sluggish this year. Competition has broadened as well, with more brands in the category. Shifting consumer preferences and supply chain problems have added to the pressure.
More Than One Concept Has Closed
Nike Live is not the only format the company has retired in 2026. Nike closed every Nike Studios location in March. That ended a three-year-old fitness concept, according to Athletech News. An internal restructuring is also underway. It began with the layoffs of 1,400 technology employees earlier this year.
Why It Matters
Small format stores were the physical piece of Nike’s direct-to-consumer push. Closing 15 of them pulls back part of that strategy. The retrenchment comes as broader retail fundamentals remain resilient, even as major brands continue closing underperforming locations. Landlords across 12 states are left with vacant space built for neighborhood corridors.
The company’s own language points toward a smaller and more curated fleet. That is a different signal than the one Nike sent in 2020. Back then the concept was sized at up to 200 stores worldwide.
