“It’s going to be very difficult to convince people who have been working from home in sandals and a sweatshirt to put on office shoes and a normal suit,” the German company’s chief executive said on a call with reporters on Friday.
Rorsted predicts that the global back-to-office trend, however broad it may be, will only accelerate the acceptance of more casual wear in the corporate world. That could sustain the boom in demand for sneakers and sportswear that has benefited Adidas and rivals like Nike Inc. and Cougar SE During the past year.
An increased focus on public health, and people eager to get out of the house after months of lockdown, should boost long-term sales of Adidas running shoes and hiking gear,” according to Rorsted. “There may be a slight slowdown in sandals, but in the big picture, that’s going to be minuscule,” he said.
And as for Adidas staff, who already had some freedom to work from home before the pandemic? The US team is still working from home at this time, as are the employees in Europe. In China, everyone is back in the office. Decisions will depend on local safety conditions and regulations, the chief executive said.
“The question is, is it better to work from home?” he added. “We will discuss with our employees during the second half and early next year to find out what is the right long-term solution.”
