Adidas plans to close robotic factories in Germany and the United States that it had set up to bring production closer to customers, saying on Monday that deploying some of that technology in Asia would be “cheaper and more flexible.”
The factories were part of a campaign by the German firm to meet demand for faster deliveries in its main markets and to counter rising wages in Asia and higher shipping costs. Originally he planned to create a global network of similar manufacturing plants.
The sportswear maker did not provide details about why it is closing the pricey facility.
Adidas began in 2016 producing mainly robot-made shoes at its “Speedfactory” in the southern city of Ansbach, near its Bavarian headquarters, and opened another near Atlanta the following year.
Founded by German shoemaker Adi Dassler in 1949, Adidas has moved most of its production from Europe to Asia and now employs more than 1 million workers in factories with subcontracted employees, particularly in China and Vietnam.
However, Adidas said on Monday that production at its Ansbach and Atalanta factories would be halted no later than April 2020 as it is focusing on using its pioneering technology to produce footwear at two of its suppliers in Asia.
Suppliers would use the new techniques to make a wider range of products, not just shoes, in less production time, while Adidas continues to test manufacturing processes at the so-called adiLab, located in the German city of Scheinfeld.
