Adidas (ADSGn.DE) is selling Reebok to Authentic Brands Group(ABG) for up to 2.1 billion euros ($2.5 billion) as the German sporting goods company concentrates on its core brand after a deal that did not deliver. Adidas bought Reebok for $3.8 billion in 2006 to help compete with arch-rival Nike (NKE.N), but its sluggish performance prompted repeated calls from investors to sell the U.S. and Canada focused brand.

In the meantime, Adidas managed to eat into Nike’s dominance in the United States with its own brand, helped by partnership with celebrities like Kanye West, Beyonce and Pharrell Williams. Reebok will keep its headquarters in Boston and continue operations in North and Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Russia, the U.S. brand management firm said in a statement, adding it will work closely with Adidas during the transition.

After Kasper Rorsted took over as Adidas CEO in 2016, he launched a turnaround plan which helped Reebok return to profitability, but its performance continued to lag that of the core Adidas brand and it was then hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adidas reported last week that Reebok’s first-half sales jumped to 823 million euros from 600 million a year ago, and the brand made a net gain of 68 million euros compared to a net loss of 69 million in the first half of 2020. Reebok’s recent collaborations with celebrities like Cardi B and a renewed focus on women’s apparel have put it in a better place, analysts say.

News Source : New York Times