Nike Chair Phil Knight was a guest on CNN's "Moneyline"
last night and discussed the company's customized shoe
offering on the Web, Nike's plans on the Internet and its
financial prospects heading into 2000. Knight, asked by
CNN's Willow Bay if the company's personalized sneaker
initiative is "meant to boost online sales" or sales of the
company's sneaker business in general: "I think that it's
not going to have any kind of big impact on our total
business looking out ahead for the next 18 months. But
basically it's recognizing that the online business is here
to stay and we intend to be an aggressive player in that."
Knight, on the notion that traditional retailers will be
adversely affected by Nike's online efforts: "I don't think
anybody's suggesting that e-commerce is going to replace
traditional retailing, and I think the good retailers will
really benefit by it. Essentially, what they'll be able to
do is service their customers much better than they've ever
been able to do before. Ultimately, brands such as Nike,
will be able to give better service to those retailers,
allow them to have a broader product line in the sense that
we'll be able to have centralized inventory for a lot of our
customers that will give service within two or three days
for products that they wouldn't be able to carry in their
store normally." Knight, on Nike's rebound: "It's still a
little bit murky, I think, but we're much more optimistic
than we were six months ago. So, we're hopeful that the
slow motion part is picking up speed" (CNN, 11/23).
GETTING ON WILLOW'S GOOD SIDE: At the end of the
interview, Knight, in OR, held up a pair of Nikes and said
to Bay, "Hey, I got one other thing. These shoes were made
just for you. It says, 'Too Cool.'" Bay, flattered, said,
"Of course. Thank you. I wish" ("Moneyline," CNN, 11/23).
