(Reuters) - Nike Inc (N:NKE) on Thursday reported a loss for the fourth quarter, as retailers had to shut stores for weeks due to lockdowns spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, sending shares of the world's largest footwear company down 3.5%.
The company's wholesale business, through which it sells merchandise to department stores and footwear retailers, saw a 50% fall in product shipments in the quarter.
Retailers have suffered due to store closures brought in place by government-led lockdowns, forcing many to limit their business to online operations.
Nike's investments in its digital platform over the years helped the company record a 75% rise in online sales, as many consumers shopped for activewear from the comfort of their homes.
Net loss came in at $790 million, or 51 cents per share, compared with a profit of $989 million, or 62 cents per share, a year earlier.
Revenue fell 38% to $6.31 billion in the quarter ended May 31. Analysts on average had expected $7.32 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.