Adidas Is Once Again No. 2 In America

Adidas has hit an important milestone: The German athletic wear maker recaptured the No. 2 sports brand position in the U.S. from rival Under Armour. Matt Powell, a sports industry analyst with research firm NPD Group, shared in a tweet earlier Tuesday that Adidas was the second-largest seller of sports footwear and apparel in America behind Nike. The move up comes two years after its smaller rival Under Armour generated major headlines for pushing it to No. 3. Losing the No. 2 spot was especially bruising for Adidas, as it generates more than $18 billion in global sales annually vs. just about $4 billion for Under Armour last year. While both have significant distribution in the U.S. market through relationships with key retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods and their own stores, Adidas is more entrenched in the American sportswear culture from a historical perspective. Under Armour is just 20 years old, while the Adidas brand has been around since 1949. Read more at Fortune.