Nike posts $11.3B Q3 as Chinese retail sees a push from livestream stars and Western luxury

Nike beats estimates; inventory eases

Nike reported third‑quarter revenue of $11.3 billion, beating Wall Street expectations. The company said direct sales were $4.5 billion and wholesale $6.5 billion, with wholesale up about 5% year‑on‑year. Inventory stood at $7.5 billion, down 1% from a year earlier, and CEO Elliott Hill said the company is focused on “improving the health and operating quality” of the business as it balances different growth rhythms across channels.

Livestream darling Oriental Selection heads offline

It has been reported that Oriental Selection (东方甄选), the e‑commerce arm spun out of New Oriental, will open its first standalone physical store in Beijing in April. Founder and CEO Yu Minhong signalled plans to scale after the first outlet is “standardised,” saying future roll‑outs could number in the dozens or even hundreds and that self‑operated products will account for up to one‑third of shelf space, with the rest curated from across China. The move highlights a wider online‑to‑offline pivot by livestream platforms seeking to translate digital trust into in‑person retail.

Ralph Lauren takes flagship deeper into China

Western luxury is also expanding inland. Ralph Lauren opened its first mainland China flagship in Chengdu’s IFS, featuring full apparel lines, home goods and a Ralph’s Coffee outlet—one of the brand’s fastest‑growing in‑store draws. For Western brands, regional diversification into second‑ and third‑tier cities is becoming a strategic hedge as coastal markets mature.

Consumer sentiment and real‑world retail are at an inflection point in China. Will brick‑and‑mortar convert the scale of livestream audiences into sustained, profitable foot traffic? That question—framed in the weekly roundup from the Consumer Research Institute (消研所) and reported by TMTPost—will shape how both domestic platforms and international brands allocate capital as political and trade tensions continue to reshape cross‑border retail strategies.