Nike Inc. said it would stop selling its clothes and sneakers directly to Amazon.com Inc., an about-face for the sportswear brand.

Brands ditching the mighty 'Amazon' is indeed a brave move, but maybe not so much if your not a global player like 'Nike'.

After a period of positively insane growth in which it has skyrocketed to, by some estimates, close to half of all the online sales in the country, Amazon is now facing a nearly equally as massive amount of criticism, business disruptions and reversals of fortune.

In the slightly dated article in the link below from 'WSJ' they highlight how the global sports brand that is 'Nike' has not only decided to part company with the retail distribution base that helped grow that global empire, they've now decided that 'Amazon' is to also be excluded from selling their product, instead they are said to be investing in the rise of similar marketplaces from China. 

Ever looked at the reasons why your website traffic is in decline, and why it will further decline in the future?

At no time in retailing history has consumer inertia been so much in the consumers favour. Today your website is probably one of the last places the consumer will go to look at products and services and find out who you really are. 

The reality is that the pace of change, opportunities and dynamics associated with the internet were for many retailers largely ignored other than those that bolted on a me too website and stayed in protectionist mode around the store portfolio. 

Social Commerce is simply the transactional part of that process today it's purpose is to distract the purchaser from having to go to your very expensive SEO driven eCommerce website!. 

there are currently 8.4 million British consumers shopping via social media, with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat being the most popular channels. When you compare the UK with the rest of the world, it is undoubtedly lagging behind. While the global average is at 35%, the proportion of UK businesses selling through social media is only 24%.

If you're a big brand retailer you might fall into the foolish mindset of thinking 'so what'. 

Well, here's something to consider - what if?;

Q) There are millions of this kind of person on social media all around the world selling the same products and services as you do?

A) This is what is known as a 'You are fucked' fact!!!!

What we see when we benchmark companies on social media is simply a transfer of the 'advertise and promote' mindset that got them where they are today. 

No employee or brand engagement, nothing from the leadership team, nothing that draws me into the culture, ethos, and values of the company. 

And worst of all, no sign of anyone listening to (if any) feedback.