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Americas most iconic shoe giant is starting 2026 by laying off workers. Nike has confirmed that it will lay off 775 employees in the United States. The move marks the third year in a row that Nike has cut jobs. Heres what you need to know about the latest Nike layoffs. Whats happened? On Monday, CNBC reported that shoe giant Nike would eliminate 775 jobs. The job cuts will primarily encompass positions at the companys distribution centers in Mississippi and Tennessee. Nike has warehouses in those states that act as major hubs in the companys supply chain. The distribution centers store the companys inventory before shipping the products out to customers and retail partners. Nikes most recent round of job cuts is the third in as many years. In 2024, Nike announced it would cut 2% of its total workforce, or about 1,600 roles. Those cuts were made so the company could reduce expenses in response to weakening sales. Then last year, Nike announced in August that it would cut about 1% of its corporate staff. Those cuts were part of a company realignment, Nike said at the time. In May 2025, Nike had around 77,800 employees. Todays confirmed layoffs of 775 workers mean the latest job cuts equate to around 1% of its workforce. Why is Nike cutting jobs? When reached for comment, a Nike spokesperson told Fast Company that the job cuts were part of the steps the company was taking to strengthen and streamline our operations so we can move faster, operate with greater discipline, and better serve athletes and consumers. As part of those steps, Nike said it’s sharpening our supply chain footprint, accelerating the use of advanced technologyand automation, and investing in the skills our teams need for the future. The company said its actions to consolidate its footprint will primarily impact its U.S. distribution operations. These actions are designed to reduce complexity, improve flexibility, and build a more responsive, resilient, responsible, and efficient operation and to support our path back to long-term, profitable growth, including contributing to improved EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) margins over time, the spokesperson added. Under former Nike CEO John Donahoe, the company moved away from wholesale partners in favor of direct selling, which necessitated a buildup of employees at its distribution centers. But ultimately, Nikes lackluster sales demand could not support the number of employees at the distribution centers. Nikes new CEO Elliott Hill has flipped its sales playbook, embracing wholesale partners again, and focusing on cutting costs to increase margins. How has Nikes stock price reacted? As of yesterdays closing price, Nike shares (NYSE: NKE) were trading at $64.99. In premarket trading this morning, shares are essentially flat. In other words, investors so far seem to have shrugged off the fact that the layoffs will have an immediate impact on the companys finances or operations. After reaching an all-time high of around $180 in 2021, Nikes share price has steadily declined, falling to as low as the $62 range in March of last year. Over the past 12 months, Nikes share price has declined by more than 11%, and over the past five years, the stocks price has collapsed by more than 50%. Since the new year began, NKE shares have risen about 2%.
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E-Commerce
In todays experience economy, cultural capital is increasingly valuable, especially for cities seeking to differentiate themselves. Municipalities routinely invest in traditional industries, physical infrastructure, and innovation pipelines, but music is often siloed as entertainment. Music can function as an economic engine, a form of cultural connective tissue, and a powerful competitive differentiator. The scale of the opportunity is significant. The music industry contributes more than $212 billion to the U.S. GDP and accounts for 2.5 million jobs nationwide. Cultural exports are not just symbolic; they shape global perception, attract investment, and support workforce retention. According to the Recording Academy, when an out-of-town visitor buys a concert ticket for $100, the local economy sees an additional $335 in related spending. New models show that with the right civic support, music can and should be treated like any other high-impact export. MUSIC AS A BRAND AND A BRIDGE City-supported music touring programs are emerging as effective tools for both artist development and place branding. When artists tour, they become de facto cultural diplomats who carry a citys stories, aesthetics, and identity into new markets. As artists expand their reach, the citys cultural profile grows alongside them, creating a powerful feedback loop of visibility and credibility. This reframes the relationship between municipalities and creators. Rather than acting as passive supporters, cities become strategic amplifiers. One of the things that we have found that operationalizes this approach is to provide financial support to musicians who promote the city while on tour. When our city launched its Music Ambassador Program (MAP), we learned through Memphiss MAP initiative that cash touring grants and facilitated media opportunities generate artist growth and a stronger global position as a music destination. The benefits are twofold: artists receive tangible career support, and the city gains authentic, artist-led storytelling. A STRATEGY FROM THE TECH PLAYBOOK The private sector, music companies, and recording studios are beginning to recognize the value of these partnership models closely mirror what the tech industry has been doing for years. When private sector, government, music companies, and recording studios collaborate, artists gain regional and national exposure with cities extending their cultural footprint. For example, weve teamed up with Universal Music Groups East Iris Studios in Nashville, the MidCity District and Apollo Coalition here in Huntsville to expand visibility for the artist and our community. Partnerships like this mirror successful long-standing economic exchange programs in tech and business that also apply toward creative capital. BEYOND VENUES: RETHINKING MUSIC INFRASTRUCTURE Supporting music as an export requires more than building amphitheaters and creating performance spaces. It demands logistical support, funding mechanisms, professional pathways, and investment in the systems that allow artists to scale their careers. High-impact, cost-effective strategies include: Stipends or grant programs for touring Mentorship pipelines connecting local talent with established and influential industry professionals Relationships, residencies, or cultural exchange programs with peer cities Public-private partnerships that lower barriers to touring and cross-market visibility The goal here is to reduce friction in talent mobility and help artists build sustainable, long-term careers that extend beyond local gigscareers that have a ripple effect on job creation, production, marketing, hospitality, and tourism across the broader music ecosystem. PROMOTE ARTISTS WITH EQUITY AND AUTHENTICITY Here in Huntsville, Alabama, we have seen great success with our music export programs and have also learned many important lessons along the way. These three lessons in particular are helpful to consider when building or expanding a program in your city. 1. Programs must be intentionally designed to avoid favoritism or the commodification of local culture for external approval. Exporting culture carries the risk of disproportionately favoring established artists unless equity is prioritized. 2. Authenticity matters. The most successful music export initiatives reflect the true dynamics, diversity, and texture of a citys creative communitynot a curated version of its scene. 3. Community engagement is essential. Listening sessions, grassroots input, and shared ownership are crucial components needed for ensuring music strategies are sustainable and scalable. Bringing the local community into the fold is critical to the long-term success of cultural exports. THE FUTURE: CULTURE AS ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE As the boundaries between industry, culture, and identity continue to blur, cities that treat music as an exportnot just an amenitywill gain a measurable advantage. Municipal governments and chambers of commerce have long focused on exporting products, ideas, and innovation. In an era where identity, experience, and narrative shape everything from tourism to talent recruitment, it is time to recognize music and the arts not simply as local assets but as exportable engines of economic growth. Matt Mandrella is the music officer for the City of Huntsville, Alabama.
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E-Commerce
Before the age of technological distraction, we lived more in tune with our bodies. We spent more time outdoors where the sun regulated our circadian rhythms, which has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and depression. Without constant distraction, people sat in their boredom, which became drivers of artistic endeavors, creative ideas, and human connection. But how many of us can remember the last time we were truly bored?Drove without music, or sat in a coffee shop simply looking out the window? Today, our digital devices have optimized our lives to the point of exhaustion. In pursuit of a frictionless experience, technology has eradicated the natural pauses that once grounded us in our bodies and environments. Yet research shows that taking breaks throughout the day is critical for restoring energy, improving focus, and inspiring creativity. THE MYTH ABOUT OPTIMIZATION We currently subscribe to the myth that if everything is efficient and optimized, our lives will feel easy and pain-free. We can order just about anything with the press of a button, or access infinite entertainment to fill every idle moment. Machines clean our clothes, dishes, and soon, well be able to offload daily chores to household robots. At work, we can use AI to automate tedious tasks or avoid the sometimes painful stuckness of thinking. Everything around us is designed to feel effortless, yet somehow it feels anything but. For decades, businesses have equated technological progress with the most optimized path. In many ways weve arrived, yet were more unhappy than ever. Since 2005, the depression and anxiety among young people has increased by 63%, due, in part, to greater levels of social media engagement, academic stress, and economic stress. Most of us know this experience firsthand: We get lost in a social media or news feed, only to emerge an hour later, disembodied, losing the throughline of the initial query. Or we pick up a phone reflexively, even if theres nothing pressing to do or see. Research shows that overuse of smartphones can make us more in touch with our screens and less in touch with our bodies. This has only been exacerbated as platforms have shifted away from user autonomy and toward extractive profit models. As journalist and coiner of the term enshittification, Cory Doctorow wrote in a story for Wired, Technological self-determination is at odds with the natural imperatives of tech businesses. They make more money when they take away our freedomour freedom to speak, to leave, to connect. In response, a growing movement of young people has begun leaving social media platforms, even ditching their cell phones altogether. In a New York Times story featuring Luddite teens, one teen was quoted as saying, things instantly changed. I started using my brain. It made me observe myself as a person, after trading their smartphone for a flip phone. Their goal isnt for everyone to get a flip phone, but to inspire people to reflect on their relationships with technology. DESIGN THAT GIVES USERS CONTROL With AI embedded into our devices and digital platforms, the tension between user autonomy and technological progress is growing. Our tools are evolving to anticipate our habits and desires, often outside of cognitive awareness. Now is our opportunity to step back and determine what we want technology to do for us, and what we want to do for ourselves. For designers, its about questioning how we might create products and experiences that restore control to the user over their time and attention. Only when we begin designing for moments of pause, can we begin to address our fundamental human needs. In the same way handwriting can slow your thoughts, dumb phones force users to pause and contemplate their next moves and interactions. Light Phone and Mudita are examples of a design philosophy that give control back to the user. Instead of the typical smartphone that commodifies your attention, dumb phones are designed as a tool to be used, giving users the ability to customize the apps loaded onto the device. These phones are not for everyone. The experience is intentionally slow and far from seamless. The friction is a forcing mechanism for users to pause. Like handwriting, resonant breathing has been proven to improve heart rate variability, a metric that can indicate wellbeing and mood. Devices intentionally designed with minimal features, like Ohm, help users slow down and reconnect to their bodys signals through breathwork. On the creative side, publishing platforms like Substack and Inoreader allow users to choose who they read and subscribe to. These intentionally designed platforms allow users to build their own news feeds and maximize their time rather than being fed content based on algorithms. FINAL THOUGHTS We may have different aspirations for our relationships with technology, but we should all feel autonomous in choosing them. Questioning the never-ending optimization is the first step to determining what we want our collective future to look like. For designers, its about not assuming the maximum, most feature-rich experience, but about distilling a product to its essential utility and allowing people to form their own relationship to it. Designing for natural pauses allows us all to feel a little more present and in tune with our core needs, and how to address them. So perhaps the next wave of technology isnt about doing everything for us, but instead about giving us back the space to choose. Dan Harden is the founder and CEO of Whipsaw.
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E-Commerce
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